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I 



DIVINE COMMUNICATIONS: 



^tifrftii^l Mttttvm 



WA^Tmrnm^ mmm. 



. BY JAMES OSBOURN, V. D. M. 

Late Pastor of the Third Baptist Church in Baltimore. 



Ready to distribute, willing to communicate. 

Let him that is taught in the word communicate to him that, 
teacheth in all good things.... Paw/, 



PUBLISHED BY THE AUTIIOi^ 

JOHN D. TOY, PIIINTEH. 

1822.. 



\ 




mi:?^^£i« 



Inasmuch as it can be attested, that the 
Letters composing this little volume, have, in 
several instances, been made a blessing to those 
to whom they were first written, why may it 
not be hoped that they may also, under the 
blessing of God, be made useful to the sons 
and daughters of men on a much larger scale? 
With a hope, therefore, that the God of Jacob 
will bless the reading of them to many, who 
could not have seen them if they remained in 
manuscript form, the author feels willing to 
give them publicity from the press. 

And, with regard to their being void of 
erudition, this, the author supposes, cannot 
be any sound argument why the God of bound- 
less wisdom, power and grace should not make 
them useful to the sons of men in general, and 
to the household of faith in particular, seeing 
he often performs wonders by means and in- 
struments the most inconsiderable. 



~::::^ 



6 

You are, I perceive, bereft of many com- 
fortS;, which not long ago you were in full pos- 
session of, and amongst the rest your health 
makes one. These are heavy strokes my bro- 
ther, but they came from God, a covenant God, 
a God of love and mercy, of which you are 
partaker; they, therefore, are not sent in vain," 
nor yet at random. On the subject of afflic- 
tions permit me to make a few strictures. 

Afflictions have been the common lot of 
God^s people in all ages of the world; they, 
therefore, are no proof of the Lord^s displea- 
sure; but they are proofs, and very striking 
proofs that all is not right somewhere; say, 
that man is depraved^ man is mortal^ and that 
this world is not his resting place. Christ the 
great and only head of the church, passed 
through a sea of affliction and heart-rending 
sorrow, when a sojourner in this world; not, 
however, that he was a sinner in the same 
sense that man is; man is an actual sinner, 
Christ a reputed one; yet even this subjected 
him to sorrow, affliction, pain, and to death. 

What anguish of soul! what torture of body! 
how poignant the sorrow! how acute the grief! 
and how gloomy the scene, when as a substi- 
tute for sinners he had to bear the weighty 
vengeance of a God who was highly incensed 
at all our sins! 



^^ On the innocent Lamb of God, our surety, 
the dreadful storm of divine wrath fell with all 
its ponderous weight; and what he felt on the 
occasion is inconceivable by mortal man! 
When the vengeance of heaven and our sins 
formed a junction, and bore down upon him on 
the accursed tree what a tragical sight appear- 
ed! Here, my afflicted brother, was eminent- 
ly fulfilled the saying that is written, ^^Is it 
nothing to you, all ye that pass by? Behold 
and see if there be any sorrow like unto my 
sorrow^, which is done unto me, wherewith the 
Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce 
anger/' Lam. i. 12. 

This was the day of God^s wrath indeed, or 
as in another place it is called, the day of the 
Lord\s vengeance. Isa. xxxiv. 8. This was, as 
it were, God^s great reckoning day, when all 
the sins of his church were collected together 
and viewed as one debt and placed to the ac- 
count of him, who, of his free choice, became 
bail or surety for the principal debtors. But 
O what a smarting time of it he had. ^^He 
that is surety for a stranger, shall smart for it,^'' 
Prov. xi. 15. And Christ did smart, he did 
suffer greatly on this memorable day, the day 
of the vengeance of the Lord. 0! what a suf- 
ferer was liere, what a burning day w^as this; 



s 

a combination of events all calculated to svvdl 
the afflictions of the glorious Lamb of God. 

If it be so^ that the Captain of our salvation 
Was made perfect through suffering, why may 
not we, who are his followers, expect, in a cer- 
tain sense^ to be perfected in the same way; or 
that we, at least, must suffer afflictions whilst 
in this life, so that we may learn to set a higher 
estimate on the life to come. Besides, we 
should do well to remember that the greatest 
saints have suffered and been afflicted in a most 
grievous manner. 

Abel was suddenly slain by his cruel and 
unnatural brother. Moses, also, suffered afr 
flictions with the people of God. Joseph, like- 
wise, had his share of afflictions; and we 
ought to remember the afflictions of Joseph. 
Job, too, was afflicted out of measure, and, per- 
haps, no case is more like your own than was 
his. David, also, met with trials, troubles, 
and affliction in great abundance. Jeremiah 
was a man that saw affliction by the rod of 
God's wrath. Paul, likewise, suffered greatly, 
yea more than is usual for men to suffer. 
Now, to be slain by one's own brother, to be 
sold for a slave, to have all one's children slain, 
to be hunted like a partridge on the mountain, 
to be persecuted for well doing, whipped often^ 
imprisoned wrongfully, made to fast frecjuent- 



ly, to die often in appearance and once in re- 
ality, and that unjustly, are hard things, my 
brother, and yet it is all right. If it was right 
for Christ to suffer, it must also be right for his 
followers to suffer. 

And that it was right for Christ to suffer is 
plain from this consideration; if he had not 
suffered, we could not have been saved; and 
if he had not been pierced through, as he was, 
with many sorrows, not one of the sons of 
Adam would have ever possessed any true 
comfort or sound solace. And for this end^ 
among others, we see it was just and right that 
the Captain of our salvation should be made 
perfect through suffering. Our glorious suf- 
ferer, Christ the Lord, was that altar, upon 
which fire was continually burning, who must 
undergo the great heat of the day of God^s 
wrath; and his members must be like the bush 
in the fire. If we sutTer with him here, we 
shall also reign with him in glory. ^^No 
cross, no crown. '^ If we are without chastise- 
ments, whereof all the saints of God are par- 
takers, then are we bastards and not sons. 
Our afflictions here may be very fierce and 
heart-rending, but they must be short. And 
if we are afflicted in body, mind, and family, 
yet, if God takes care of our better part, and 
saves us at last from eternal burnings, we shall 

1* 



10 

have no just eause to complain but to be thank- 
fulf seeing it is much lighter to suffer here iu 
the flesh, and our souls saved in Jesus, than to 
have an easy passage through life^ and, in the 
end, our souls cast away. 

Besides, our sufferings are what we justly 
deserve, they being the fruits of sin. Our re- 
bellion against God, also, loudly calls for all 
that we undergo in this life. Our strokes, my 
brother, are far lighter than our crimes. 
However heavy God^s hand may be laid upon 
us, we may say that he deals with us as he 
dealt with the land of Zebulon and the land of 
Naphtali, ^*he lightly afflicted the land of Ze» 
buloo and the land of Naphtali/^ Isa. ix. 1. 

Afflictions when sanctified are blessings m 
disguise, inasmuch as they ^^work for us,'^ 
mark that, for us, '^b. far more exceeding and 
eternal weight of glory/^ You, my brother, 
are not the first man that hath suffered in the 
flesh, nor is it likely that you will be the last. 
I am persuaded in my mind, that should the 
Lord remove you by this affliction, from mor- 
tality's vale to immortal glory, one hour in 
heaven would make you forget all that you are 
now labouring under. Nay more, or rather 
less, God is able to raise you up again, make 
up the loss sustained, bless you with so much 
of his divine presence, and so to place you in 



11 

this life^ that in less than a year from this date,- 
you should look back and see, and confess too, 
that mercy was mixt with all his dealings with 
you. 

I knew a God-fearing man in England, who 
lost eight or nine children in infancy, on which 
account he at times murmured and fretted 
amazingly, and could not then see through the 
mystery, or why and wherefore God should so 
deal with him. But presently the Lord took 
away his wife also, and then the first secret be- 
gan to open a little, and he saw the wisdom of 
God in his taking away the little ones; for, hu- 
manly speaking, what could he have done with 
a house full of little children, afflicted as he al- 
ways was with almost blindness, when his be- 
loved wife was gone. This good man at that 
time was in tolerable easy circumstances, but 
the Lord followed him, as he did Job, with 
stroke upon stroke, till he was not only be- 
reaved of his wife and children, but of all he 
was worth in the world. And after God had 
exercised him in this way for some years, he 
gave him another loving, affectionate, and in- 
dustrious wife and three fine children, together 
with an abundance of the good things of this 
life, which he is now enjoying in the fear of 
his God; and he can and does say, ^Hhe Lord 
has done all things well! 



12 

But^ perhaps, you are thinking that the 
Lord will not deal in this way with you. I da 
not say that he will, nor is he hound so to do. 
But I do say that his hand is not shortened^ 
nor his ear dull of hearing, and should he re- 
fuse to favor you as in the above case, yet if 
your soul is saved in the end, all will be well 
and you will have to adore his great name to 
all eternity. Besides, the very cup of afflic- 
tion is mixed with mercy; but whether you can 
see it in this light or not, is not for me at pre- 
sent to say. But though the Lord gives you 
the bread of adversity, and the water of af- 
fliction, he intends nothing more by it than his 
pwn declarative glory and your real good; and 
that these ends will be answered by it, I no 
more doubt than I doubt the existence of Jeho- 
vah. Be still, therefore, and know that he is 
God, and that he cannot act in a way that will 
make against himself, or against those who are 
brought to love and fear him- 

Once more — when we consider what many of 
the Lord's dear people have gone through and 
suffered, our afflictions rather lessen — as, of 
their being stoned, saw^n asunder, wandering 
about in sheep-skins and goat-skins — being 
destitute, afflicted, tormented; they wandered 
in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and 
eaves of the earth; and yet notwithstanding all 



13 

these things^ they were the beloved ones of the 
Lord. Have we suffered any thing like this? 
have we resisted unto blood in the cause of our 
Redeemer? It is true^ the Lord has of late just 
touched a vein near your heart; but it is done 
only to keep down the fever and not to bleed 
you to death; and^ admitting it should be to 
deaths we ought not to sorrow as those who 
have no hope^ since it is said that the blood of 
the saints is precious in his sight. 

The saints are compared to willows^ and 
they must expect to be shaken with the wind 
and blustering storms. David^ when in a 
storm had something to comfort him^ he tells 
us^ and it was the pleasing remembrance of 
God's mercy and goodness towards him in 
times past. ^^This is my comfort in my afflic- 
tion^ thy word hath quickened me.'' And can- 
not you my brother, remember the time when 
God's word quickened, comforted, and made 
all within you to rejoice? My brother, my af- 
flicted brother, have you not a Bochim^ a 
Bethel^ a Hill Alizar^ by which you can re- 
member the loving kindness of the Lord? Can 
you not recollect the time, the place, and sea- 
son when Jacob's God was all and in all to 
your soul? Is he not the same now as then 
judge ye? Can we suppose that his mind is 
capable of changing, and that he will grow 



14 

weary of his saints? Has not God surprised 
you by lifting upon you the light of his coun- 
tenance^ and by giving you most indubitable 
pledges of his good will towards you? And 
now that he is surprising you by afflictions^ can 
you think that he is the less kind. 

If we would be thoroughly acquainted with 
God, we must take different views of him. In 
prosperity we have a front view of him; but in 
affliction we have a side or an oblique view of 
the same object. But view him as we may, 
his mind certainly knows of no mutation, but is 
perpetually the same; it is not incident to 
change as ours are. Nor does your present 
affliction any more argue a different disposi- 
tion in God towards you than towards another 
who is not afflicted. You doubtless know, that 
one and the same cause, without any change in 
itself, may produce diff*erent effects. For ex- 
ample: The sun hath but one simple act of 
shining, and yet this one act hardens clay and 
dissolves ice, makes the flowers smell sweet, 
and a corpse to smell offensive. 

Again — let a man in decent apparel stand 
before a looking glass, and you will find the 
glass to hold forth the very same figure with 
the object that stands before it. If another 
man in coarse raiment presents himself before 
the glass, the very same glass will offer to view 



15 

a similar likeness with the object before it. 
And now I ask^, where is the change? in the 
glass or in the different objects? In the latter 
— we are all agreed. Improvement. You are 
afflicted, but God is not wroth. You are bro- 
ken in spirit and full of tossings to and fro^ 
but God is of one mind and he intends well by- 
all that has yet befallen you. If we^ my bro- 
ther^ are permitted to drink of the cup of mer- 
cy^ we must calculate on having a glass of bit- 
ters held out to us sometimes. 

When men undertake to go round the world 
they go by water, because it is the shortest and 
best way. And so when men set out for the 
upper and better world, they calculate to sail 
through waters of affliction and seas of tribula- 
tion, because it is the shortest cut and the most 
direct way, the only way. It is through much 
tribulation we must enter into the kingdom of 
God. In the world ye shall have tribulation. 
Pertinent to the occasion, is the case of David 
the king of Israel, who, we are told, went up 
to the mount of Olivet and the people with him; 
and as they went they wept. ^^And David 
went up by the ascent of mount Olivet, and 
wept as he went up, and all the people went 
up, weeping as they wentup.^' 2 Sam. xv. 30, 
Our anti typical David also ascended up a 
much higher mount, to heaven; and they who 



16 

would follow him up this mount will have to 
sweat for it^ they will have to weep as they go 
up- 

This, my brother^ is the common road, the 
king's higl] way that leadeth to the mount of 
God; and ail other paths lead astray, how fair 
soever they seem. A man that walks towards 
the sun is sure to have his shadow following 
him; and so he that goes towards the sun of 
righteousness is sure to have afflictions follow- 
ing hard at his heels. It must be so; it is so 
ordered by him who hath done all things well. 
It is his wise decree, and it is intended to an- 
swer a wise end; and though you and I may 
not be able at present to see through it, yet 
what we know not now we shall know hereaf- 
ter, if God and his word be true. 

May Israel's God be with you in the furnace, 
and in his own good time bring you out to the 
honour and glory of his abounding grace, 
through the Son of his love. I will try and 
pray for you, my brother, that you may not 
be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow, and 
that you may have no heavier burden laid 
upon you, than you through grace shall be 
enabled to bear, to the praise of him who doe9 
not willingly affiict or grieve the children 
of men. 



17 

Let me hear from you again^ soon^ and then 
you shall soon hear again 
From your humble servant^ 
and 
Well wisher in the Lord God of Israel. 

J. O. 
Baltimore, July, 1819. 



LETTER IL 

Dear Sir, 

Grace and peace be multiplied unto thee. 

I received your epistle some little time ago, 
and should have answered it before now but 
for the multiplicity of other things which I had 
to attend to. I am glad to hear that you are 
well, and still inquiring the way to Zion. 
May the angel of the covenant direct all your 
steps, keep you from evil, bless you with peace 
in your soul, lead you into truth, be with you 
in trouble, enlighten your mind, make you hon- 
est and upright,, feed you with the true manna, 
and finally bring you to glory. 

I hope you will never grow weary in well 
doing, but ever be kept waiting upon God in 
prayer and by reading his blessed word, for he 
2 



18 

that waiteth upon the liord glorifieth him. It 
is a good thing to know ourselves and God^ 
aright; and though we may meet with many- 
hard and difficult things by the way, yet a 
faithful God can and will bring us forth from 
them all in his own good time, to the honor of 
his free and amazing grace. God's people, in 
all ages of the world, have had many and great 
difficulties to encounter, and yet the Lord 
whom they served has found out a way to de- 
liver; and the same gracious God will arise for 
our help in times of need, if we look to and 
put our trust in him. He is every thing to his 
saints that they need; yes, great is his good- 
ness which he has laid up for them that fear 
and trust in him before the sons of men. 
^^Trust in the Lord, therefore, and do good; so 
shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou 
Shalt be fed.'' 

^^As the mountains are round about Jerusa- 
lem, so the Lord is round about his people." 
In these words we have God's love and tender 
care of his beloved ones set forth in strong lan- 
guage, which is a ground of encouragement for 
us to seek and to rely on him*. None are so 
safe as those whom Israel'^ God makes safe, 
and none so blessed as those who are blessed 
by him. David says, ^^God is our refuge and 
strength." O blessed strength, and thrice 



19 

happy is he who by faith can realize it! In 
God we find^ what we cannot find elsewhere^ 
a refuge from the terrible blast of divine 
wn^athj from the curse of a broken law^ from the 
lashes of a griping conscience^ and from the 
devouring flames. 

The impetuous storm of divine wrath^ fell 
with all its massy weight on the head of our 
Almighty Redeemer^ and now a bright cloudy 
pregnant with mercy, is impendant over the 
head of every one who flies for refuge to a co- 
venant God. The strength of the Lord God 
of Israel is also sufficient to sustain us when in 
the depth of trouble^ to raise us up when down, 
to scatter our enemies, and to save our souls. 
O that this God may be our God for ever and 
ever, and our guide even unto death. Indeed, 
there is no safety but here; which being the 
case, seek after the Lord, my dear sir, and 
though faint, still pursue, and you will be win- 
ner at last if the Bible be true. 

He. that trusts in riches, will be deceived at 
last. He that seeks for happiness in this 
world, will be disappointed in the end. He 
that makes man his trust, will find himself a 
fool at the close of life. He that expects to go 
to heaven by his own good works, will find his 
mistake, when perhaps it is too late. And 
what next, ''He that trusteth in the Lord shall 



20 

be as mount Zion^ which cannot be vemoved.^^ 
Psa. cxxv. 1. 

Write to me as soon as you can^ pray for me 
at all times^ excuse my not writing sooner^ bear 
with my weakness, and believe me to be yours 
in love, 

J. O. 

Baltimore, August, 1820. 

P. S. You want to know what sort of chris- 
tians we have in Baltimore, and how we are 
going on. This is a strange question, as chris^ 
tians iare all alike every where. However, if 
they are worse in one place than in another, I 
believe from my very soul it is in this city. 
They are mighty fond of novelty and new 
things. They pretend to be very wise, and 
real good judges in matters of religion; but I 
must needs say, if I am any judge, that I never 
found a people in all my travels in Europe, or 
America, more defective in those very points 
in which they are most insufferably conceited. 
In a word, they are a proud, ignorant, self- con- 
ceited people. They know every thing, and 
yet, in my judgment, they know nothing as they 
ought to know. I speak now of a large ma- 
jority of professors of our own denomination, 
and not of every individual; for I trust here 
are some that love and fear Grod. 



21 

We^j of late^ have been trying hard to be- 
come great in the eyes of the nations round 
about us^ and to cut a figure in this polite age^ 
yet;, we make but very little headway^ for, as 
the sailors say, between you and me and the 
main-mast, our greatness in the strictest sense 
of the word, is but dignity in rags; but what 
we may arrive to at length, is not for me to 
say, as it is a long lane that hath no turn. 
We have got a new place of worship, or rather 
a Pantheon, and it sounds as musical as the 
whispering gallery in St. Paul's, London. Its 
cost is quite moderate for us great folks — fifty 
thousand dollars, I believe, is about what the 
temple stands us in; but who will be jack-pay- 
for-all God only knows. 

We know, however, that the silver and the 
gold belong to the Lord, and we hope that he 
will not forsake us in the day of our calamity, 
but will enable us to keep up our consequence 
in the world, though we of ourselves, are too 
high to begj and to dig we are ashamed. 
With respect to myself, I am scufiiing about 
amongst the rest, but I am mortally hated by 
many, bu twhy I am I cannot devise, unless it be 
because I preach the truth, for I mean nobody 
any harm. Perhaps, times will be better with us 
when I write again; and if they are I declare 
Fll let you know it, for I feel for our people in 

2* 



J62 

the present case, but I cannot help them m mo. 
ney matters. All that I can do in the present 
distress, is to cry night and day to the Lord^ 
that he may arise speedily for their help and 
not suffer their ambtion to be shipwrecked. 
As I have a haughty spirit myself, a spirit of 
condolence ought to be manifested by me to- 
wards those whose consequence is suffering 
mariyrdom between the upper and the nether 
mill- stone. And if the Lord would but rain 
down silver and gold as plentifully now as he 
formerly did manna, I declare I would see and 
scrape together as much as I could, in order to 
relieve my suffering brethren from a most pain* 
ful anxiety, and, also, to establish my own re- 
putation as a christian, for you know we are 
Gommanded to overcome evil with good. But, 
perhaps, you have not a turn for irony, I, 
therefore, will abandon the subject and onee 
more bid you 

Adieo. 

I. O. 



^ 



LETTER IIL 

Dear Brother and Sister in the Lord^^ 

Grace and peace be with you. 

I received your letters on the 9th inst. and 
shall now answer them hoth in one, 

I am truly glad to hear from you all. I feel 
a kind of nearness and a going out of heart 
to you, and am very anxious to see you alL 
But if I never should in this worlds I hope I 
shall in a world to come, where we shall spend 
a long eternity together. What an unspeak- 
able mercy it is for poor sinners like us to be 
raised to a comfortable hope of an interest in 
the Lord of life and glory. What were we 
better than others that God should display the 
riches of his grace and mercy in our salvation? 
We surely must attribute all to love^ everlast- 
ing love. 

And, as God has been pleased so eminently 
to designate us from the rest of the world — to 
pardon our sins, and to bless us with true 
peace, ought we not to believe, and also draw 
comfort from such a belief, that he will carry 
on the good work begun? What though we find 
laany sins yet remaining within us, God says, 
aMy grace is sufficient'^ — and this ought to 



suffice us. What though we are often tempted 
by Satan^ who is by far too strong for us, yet 
God says, ^^My grace is sufficient^' — and this 
ought to suffice us. What though we at times 
sii>k very low, are much dismayed and dis- 
couraged because of the way, yet God says, 
^^My grace is su^icient'' — and this ought to 
suffice us. What though we have no strength 
of our own,^ nor wisdom enough to direct our 
way, yet God says, ^^My grace is sufficient'' — 
and this ought to suffice us. What though we 
live in a world of sorrow, difficulties, and 
snares, yet God says, "^^My grace is sufficient;" 
and this ought to suffice us. What though we 
have to pass through deep waters and the 
furnace of affliction, yet God says, ^^My grace 
is sufficient;" and this ought to suffice us. What 
though our love to God waxeth cold, our 
thoughts, which ought to be fixed on hea- 
venly objects, wandering far away from him, 
and our minds as dark as midnight, yet God is 
the same, his love is the same, his mercy is the 
same, and his grace all sufficient still. And it 
is well for us that these things are even so; for 
if they were not, what would become of us, 
who are not able to manage our own affairs? 

But, seeing these things are so, what man- 
ner of persons ought we to be in all godly con- 
yersation? How should we try to serve him, 



25 

obey him, love him, honour him, worship him, 
and adore him, with all our hearts! As the 
God of Israel has already done such great 
things for a part of your family, so I hope and 
wish that he may still be mindful of the rest 
of them; and, in his good time, call them by his 
grace, and bring them to know and fear his 
great name. 

What a pleasing sight it must be, to see a 
whole family serving and fearing God! But 
how very seldom this is the case; and yet we 
know it is in the power of God to cause such a 
thing to take place. If God can save one, he 
can save two, and if two, he can save three; 
yes, all. And as this is in his power, we, who 
are already called by his grace, ought to en- 
treat him to make bare his holy arm in saving 
poor sinners. I hope, my dear friends, you 
will seek the Lord with mind and heart, and 
put your whole trust and confidence in him, 
and in him only. I hope also that you may 
enjoy much of his presence; live near to him, 
and before him walk humbly all your days. As 
there is nothing in this world that can satisfy 
the boundless desires of an immortal mind, we 
ought to look to that source from whence com- 
eth every good and perfect gift, and from 
whence all the pressing wants of God's dear 
children have been supplied in all ages of the 



S6 

world. We hear of no failure *here^ no defects 
here, no want of power or will here, to save 
those who come unto him for life and salvation. 
^^He that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast 
out,^^ is the language of Jesus. Blessed Jesus! 
Dear Redeemer! Willing Saviour! Is it so, 
that Christ will cast out none that come unto 
him? Yes, it is even so! O that we may all 
come to Jesus, who is able to save to the utter- 
most. 

Give my love to all the family and christian 
friends, and tell them, that although we are 
five hundred miles apart, I hope to see them at 
some future time, and to preach unto them a 
precious Jesus. Write soon, and let me know 
how you are all going on. My beloved wife 
and children are all well through mercy. I am 
in good health myself. 

Adieu. 

J. a 

Baltimore city, 1820* 



27 



tETTER IV. 

Dear Friends^ 

Grace and peace be multiplied unto you 
through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

I heard yesterday^ through the raediuni of 
sister H. of what hath lately befalien you. I 
feel a spirit of condolence for you, knowing 
what a gloom must now becloud your minds. 
But all is rightj and you know it. Act accord- 
ingly. I hope this painful visitation will be 
sanctified by the Lord of Hosts to the good of 
your souls, and especially^ to the good of your 
son, on whom the present shock principally 
rests. 

God has seen fit to mark all things here be* 
low with mortality, from whence we ought to 
learn not to place too great a confidence in sur- 
rounding objects. That we are all mortal and 
bound for a long eternal home, is a very seri- 
ous thought; but that which is the most alarm- 
ing of all is, we are sinners, which being the 
case, we, of course, are amenable to that law 
which is fraught with malediction. This being 
the case what an unspeakable mercy it is to be 
raised to a comfortable hope of an interest ia 
him who bore our sins in his oion body on the 



S8 " 

tree. And this hope, some of you are through 
grace^ in possession of, and I wish you all 
were. 

Tell your son L from me, that I feel for 

him, and wish that this loud call from God may 
rouse him to a deep sense of his real state and 
standing before a heart searching God, and 
that he may be induced to seek after him from 
a sense of his present danger. In Jesus he will 
find a friend, a real friend, a friend that loveth 
at ail times, and who will never leave him, but 
stand by him in sickness, in health, in life, and 
in death, and at last transmit him into that 
abode, where there is fulness of joy and plea- 
sures for evermore. 

In the person, character, and oJBices of 
Christ, he will find his present loss amply 
made up, with large interest, for he is one who 
sticketh closer than a brother, or even a wife; 
and his love is like himself, always the same, 
and burns like a perpetual fire. And this 
love, when it is felt, warms the heart, draws 
forth the affections to our heavenly Lover, and 
endears him to us, so that we esteem him our 
best friend, our husband, and our God. It cJso 
enriches the soul, and fills it with joy unspehk- 
able and full of glory. It weans the mind from 
this world, and fills it with holy longings and 
desires after a better one to come. It draws 



29 

the soul to a throne of grace, and to a close 
searching into the precious Bible, where may 
be found mines of gold, yea what is better than 
even fine gold, life and peace. It also beauti- 
fies the mind, and qualifies it for mental dis- 
course with God here, and for the full enjoy- 
ment of him above. 

Who then would not possess this love, and 
be on friendly terms with the Most High? 

Dear L , seek after this Jesus till you find 

him, and when you have found him, let me 
know it, that we may rejoice together in God 
Qur Saviour. 

Dear friends, may the Lord bless you and 
do you good, and be with you under all your 
afflictions. Tender my love to all friends, and 
among the rest to your whole family; to bro- 
ther S. and family, and to sister T. and her 
family. I wrote to you about three months 
ago, but have received no answer. I thought 
rather hard of it at first, and do still; but per- 
haps you never got it. I long to see you all 
once more, but when I shall I know not. We 
are all well. The Lord be praised. I am in 
a hurry. You know I am always busy. Sis- 
ter H. and the little ones are well. 
Adi^u, 

J. O. 
Baltimore, 1821. 

3 



30 



LETTER V. 

Dear Sir^ 

Grace and Peace be with thee. 

After being absent from home twelve weeks^ 
I, through the good hand of God upon me, ar- 
rived in this city on the evening of the fifth in- 
stant, where I found a number of letters which 
I have had to answer; among the rest I found 
one from you, which I have read over and 
over. Every letter I receive from you, creates 
in me a greater anxiety to see you; I want very 
much to feel your pulse, so as to be able to find 
out the real state of your system. 

I do assure you, I am^^ery apprehensive that 
you are in part poisoned, (unperceived by you 
however,) owing, I think, to feeding too much 
on the wild commons, where the herbage is 
naturally sho7^t and soiir^ and where there are 
many noxious weeds also, which, if they are 
eaten, will much afiect the system. All the 
senses are also affected by it— the taste becomes 
vitiated — the feelings callous — the hearing in- 
distinct — the eyes dim — and the smell so chang- 
ed, that one cannot say. The fig-tree putteth 
forth her green figs ^' and the vines with ten- 
der grapes give a good smell. When I meet 



31 

a person thus defective, he appears to me some- 
what like a bastard Jew^ for he can neither 
speak Hebrew nor Ashdod plain; I therefore 
am bound to send all such persons to the Law 
of Liberty^ James, i. 25^ where they will find 
the God of Israel, whose prerogative it is to 
remove the veil from the mind, as we read, 
^When it (or they) shall turn to the Lord, the 
vail shall be taken away. Now the Lord is 
that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord 
is, there is liberty.'^ 2 Cor. iii. 16, 17* 

It is a blessed thing, dear sir, to be permit" 
ted to look into this perfect law of liberty: I 
say, to be permitted^ for none can look into it 
but by permission^ yeSf and divink permiS' 
sion too, and none but sons are thus privileged. 
Carnal men, hypocrites, nominal professors, 
and blind priests, know no more about this 
law, excepting in name only, than I know 
about the dimensions of the sun. We are in- 
formed that the secret of the Lord is with them 
that fear him, (mark that, fear him,) and he 
Vvill shew them his covenant. See Psalm xxv. 

Now the plain English of it is just this: he 
that fears and loves God is let into the secret, 
or brought to know and to partake of the bles- 
sings of the covenant of grace, which covenant 
is of ancient date, made between the Father 
and the Son, and is ordered in all things and 
sure; i. e. sure to answer the end which was 



32 

designed, to wit; to secure, hold fast, and bring- 
to glory, all the vessels of mercy who were 
chosen in this covenant before time began; or in 
other words, all those for whom Christ the head 
of this covenant died. Is the above statement 
true or false? Let Paul answer. ^-According 
as he hath chosen us in him before the founda- 
tion of the world, that we should be holy and 
without blame before him in love/'^ 

Well done Paul! ! 

And now we will hear what Mr. B, says, 
<^^Christ died for all and every man, but the 
benefits of his death are applied to a very few; 
therefore, all for whom he died will not be 
saved/' 

A sorry ditty this. And I am so far from 
thinking that Paul ever once harped on so wild 
a note as the above, that I make no doubt but 
he would, if he was here, say of this error, as 
lehu said of Jezebel, ^'Go see now this cursed 
woman, and bury her.^' S Kings, ix. 34. No- 
thing, dear sir, but pure truth will be able to 
stand the scrutiny of the unerring word of 
God in the great day of accounts. Error, su- 
perstition, will-worship, and all the vain ima- 
ginations of men, will, in that day, fall like 
lightning from the sky, while truth and justice 
will be established in the very heavens. The 
idea of the atonement being general^ but sjfe- 



i 



33 

cial in its application^ is the quintessence of po- 
pery^ and the chief corner stone on which the 
corrupt system of Arminianism is reared. Oa 
this base^ or rather phantom^ old Pelagius, 
Arminius, Episcopius/and all the sons of Belial 
in Christendom, built their fabric. And what is 
it? Nothing more, nor nothing less, than the 
religion of nature. And it is what carnal men 
are pleased with, although it stands in direct 
opposition to the religion of the Bible* 

Now, from such an error as this, from such 
blindness of mind, from such hardness of heart, 
and such contempt of God's word, good Lord 
deliver me! 

I am aware how very plausible and pleasing 
to the human mind the above error is. But 
error is not to be tried at the petty court of 
carnal reason — treated as we treat a petty 
larceny, nor yet decided on by a synod of blind 
ecclesiastics, though they may have attached to 
their names, A. M. or D. D. but at a much 
higher court, errors of every sort and kind, 
must and will be tried, and the Bible the rule 
by which they will be squared; and whatever 
is found to lay square with this rule will pass 
current in heaven, and nothing else as God 
liveth! 

It may be, you will say, that it is unreason- 
able to suppose that Christ should die for some 



34 

few and not for all, as it would not only loofc 
like partiality on the part of our glorious suf- 
ferer, but it would actually be so, according to 
the nature of things; and to attribute partiality 
to so just a person would be a gross insult 
indeed. 

Yes sir, it would be an affront offered to the 
God of Israel, to charge him with injustice in 
any one thing whatever. But I think it would 
be much more unreasonable, (as well as alto- 
gether unscriptural^) to suppose that Christ 
died for all men indiscriminately, and yetjbut 
a part of this alt saved, seeing by this very 
jthing, the atonement made, is invalidated and 
rendered entirely nugatory; because if it fails 
in answering the end designed to the fullest 
extent^ it can answer no end at all, for it is 
defective, as is evident by its not answering 
every purpose intended. 

Again — it is more, sir, by far, than you or 
any other person can prove from the word of 
God, that the death of Christ was ever intend- 
ed for all and every man. And if it was, 
how comes it to pass that his death is not 
alike beneficial to all and every one for whom 
it was intended, which it is not, if all and 
every one are not saved? I will now lay be- 
fore you another difficulty on this head, which 
is as follows: 



35 

It is impossible to separate the death of 
Christ fro'ii the fruits and effects flo.viug 
from it; ami this being the case^ all for whom 
he died will necessarily receive the fruits and 
effects resulting from his death. 

Once more — if the atonement be imiversal, 
some other things must be universal also, in 
order to keep up the harmony in the economy of 
grace. As thus^ God^s love must be universal^ 
i. e. God must love all men alike^ the same as the 
atonement, (as some say,) was for all men alike^ 
for we are bound to believe that the one is of 
the same extent as the other. Now, then, if 
Christ died for more than will be saved, it fol- 
lows from the above premises, that God loved, 
and still lov^es more than will be saved; and as 
his love is unalienable, he, of course, must love 
those who perish, as well as those who are 
saved. Deny this if you can. 

Again — if the atonement be universal^ so 
must the intercession of Christ, now in heaven, 
also be universal^ since we are bound to be- 
lieve that the one is of the same extent as the 
other; and this being the case, it follows, in 
course, that if one perisheth for whom Christ 
died, one must perish for whom he now inter- 
cedes. And if it be so, and it lies with you to 
prove that it is not, I cannot see how any one 
can be saved; seeing by the above rule, Christ 



36 

is defective in his intercession; i. e. he pleads 
with his Father for all and every man but he 
cannot prevail; and how in the name of com- 
mon sense can he prevail with his Father for 
any one if he cannot or does not for all? 

But again — if the atonement be Mwuvr.sa/^the 
office work of the Holy Ghost is of universal 
extent also, for we are bound to believe that the 
one is as wide as the^ other, i, e. all for whom 
Christ died, the Spirit is to make meet for hea- 
ven; and this being the case, it follows of pure 
necessity, that if all are not saved for whom 
Christ died, the Spirit must be defeated, for 
his work was to gather together and to make 
meet for glory, all and every one for whom 
Christ died; but, inasmuch as all are not saved 
for whom he died, the Holy Spirit as I said be- 
fore, must be defeated; which being the case I 
do not see how any one can be saved. But this^ 
sir, is wretched work indeed! If I was writing 
a book on this subject, I should, in course, be a 
little more particular in the points which I have 
laid down; but as I am not, I have been very 
superficial; but crude and superficial as they 
all are, I wish that you, my son, would think 
them over a little; compare what 1 have said 
with the Word of God; put the above few 
points together; balance them with the doctrine 
of universal atonement; and then let me hea^ 



37 

from you again. And do inform me how you 
are^ where you are^ and what you are doing. 

Firsts whether you are well or sick; strong or 
weak; whole or maimed; in the midst of health 
or sore broken in the place of Dragons; rejoi- 
cing or mourning; lifted up^ or cast down^ &c. 

Second^ whether you are on the mount;, or 
in the valley: in a fruitful field, or in a dreary 
forest; in a wealthy place, or in a land of want; 
in a straight path, or in a crooked way; in the 
sun shine, or under a cloud; in prison, or walk- 
ing at large; in the hands of God, or in the 
hands of men, &c. 

Thirdly, whether you are waging war with 
Satan, the world, and sin, or at ease in Zion; 
running the race set before you, or standing 
still; seeking after God and godliness, or 
wordly fame and greatness; pressing onwards 
to Zion, or on the point of going back; calling 
on God in prayer, or neglecting the means by 
which we draw nigh to God; reading the Bi- 
ble and other good books, or reading novels 
and newspapers; keeping company with the 
men of the world, (needlessly,) or with the peo- 
ple of God, &c. &c. And now, in going on 
with my rigmarole, permit me to ask you a 
few questions, such as: Do you at times feel 
a secret pleasure in reading the word of God?^ 
And is it a matter of grief to you that this in- 



38 

ward pleasure is not greater arid more lasting? 
Again — do you wish and pray for more en- 
larged views of truths and that God would 
open up more fully to you the mysteries of the 
cross of Jesus^ and make known more clearly 
his mind and will concerning you? 

Again — do you find at times a conflict in 
your mind^ a sort of strife or struggle^ like 
two armies contending? If this be the case^ you 
may say as a good w^oman once said on a cer- 
tain occasion, namely^ '^If it be so^ (that is^ if 
she was barren^) why am I thus?^^ And &he 
went to inquire of the Lord, and the Lord told 
her that two nations were in her womb instead 
of being barren; and so it turned out, for she 
brought forth two sons, who in temper and dis- 
position, differed one from the other, as much 
as the above two armies. And one of these 
boys we are told, God loved^ and the other he 
kafed^ see Gen. 25th. Now I say, if it be with 
you as above, you may go to God and inquire 
of him thus, ^-If I am barren of all that is good, 
of divine life in my soul, of love to thee, of love 
to thy word, to thy truth, to thy ways,* and to 
thy people, why, O God, why am I thus? Why 
this sad conflict in my mind?'^ I now, as mouth 
for God, will answer you my son. No, you are 
not barren, so far from this, that there are in 
vou two distinct nations, or two distinct na- 



39 

tures^ and because they differ very widely one 
from the other^ you therefore will feel this 
conflict in your mind. 

The most correct way of distinguishing these 
two guests^ is to call one, human nature^ and 
the other the divine nature. As the former 
was born after the flesh, in course there is no- 
thing about him but adultery, fornication^ un- 
cleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, 
hatred, variance, emulation, wrath, strife, 
seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunk- 
enness, revelling and such like. Gal. v. 19, 20^ 
SI. He also hates the latter with a perfect ha- 
tred, and persecutes him with most insatiable 
cruelty and rage, although inmates together. 
But though they are inmates together, yet 
they are as opposite to each other, both with 
respect to their origin, their manner of being 
. brought up, their conduct in life, their dispo- 
sitions, their views of truth, their choice of 
things and their end in all, as blazing noon 
and midnight darkness. This first born, Esau, 
has caused the saints of God in all ages of 
world many a groan, many a sigh, many a tear^ 
and many a restless hour. And as God hated 
this child of the flesh, this Esau, so do they. 
And not only so, but Esau hates God and every 
child of God; yea, and every principle of 
grace implanted in their souls, and hence he is 



46 

determined to withstand the whole of them 
though it cost him his life. He is a daring, 
bold, adventurous, impudent, proud, overbear- 
ing, and insolent villain He is human nature 
every inch of him; and that which is bred in 
the bone will never be out of the flesh. He is 
continually teazing, tormenting, worrying, and 
chasing the saints of God; just like a bumbailiff 
after a poor debtor. Now although this be his 
true and real character,yet strange to tell, there 
positively are men in the world, (falsely called 
gospel preachers,} blind and ignorant enough to 
speak and write somewhat in favour of this first 
born. Yea, they have audacity enough to at- 
test, that he is not, whether considered in his 
original form, or in his now standing condi- 
tion, so bad, so deformed, so vile, so helpless, 
so opposed to all that is good, so destitute of 
will and power, so blind, so dead, as to be 
without feeling, so ignorant and so totally de- 
praved, as some men imagine. And as they 
are under this impression, they pass, in an ob- 
lique manner, if not directly, many encomiums 
on poor human nature; no doubt but the devil 
laughs at them for so doing, for he knows more 
about human nature than do these blind buz- 
zards. It is owing to their ignorance of this 
subject that they treat it in the manner they 
do. They hold out an idea that Esau is sick^ 






41 

but not dead; and hence they foolishly speak' 
of his having power sufficient to do great feats^ 
if he had but the will only. If he had the will in 
addition to what he has got, they would wish 
to make us believe that he would be as though 
he had not been, i. e. as though he had not 
been airy way injured by the fall. However^ 
as it cannot be thought that blind men can be 
good judges of color, neither can it be expected 
that carnal men can be capable of giving a pro- 
per definition, either of the object of God's 
hatred or the object of his love, that is, of Esau 
or of Jacob, or in other words, of the old man^ 
or of the new. Those objects are spiritually 
discerned, and none but spiritual men can see 
them aright. 

Every soul that is made alive by the grace of 
God, can see clear enough that human nature 
is not in part only, but totally depraved; and 
that the old man^ Esau-like, is averse to God, 
an enemy to God, continually opposing God, 
and for ever warring against the Spirit, or the 
7iew man^ which is formed in the soul by the 
power of God. And this old man, as Paul hath 
it, looks as disdainful and as envious on the 
ifiew man of grace, as ever Esau did on Jacobs 
But though Esau hated his brother; yet we find 
God's love was drawn out towards one, and his 
hatred towards the other. And so in the ca^c 
4 



4S , 

before us^ the old man of sin God hates j though 
he is the elder; and t\\^rie.w man of grace God 
loves^ though he is the younger. Now as 
good Rebecca^ as soon as she found these two 
boys struggling in her womb^ carried her case 
to the Lord, and said, ^^If it be so/^ i. e. if I 
am barren, ^*why am I thus?'^ So, my son, 
should you. Do you, I ask again, find a con- 
flict in your mind? If so, there must be life in 
your soul, or, otherwise you would not find this 
struggle, or in other words, if you were barren 
of all that is good, you would not feel thus; 
therefore, do not be discouraged, my son. Nei- 
ther be discouraged, because there are so ma- 
ny bad qualities belonging to human nature, for 
the elder shall serve the younger. And as I 
have said a fevv things relative to the old man 
of sin, I will lay before you some few particu- 
lars concerning the riew man of grace. 

^^The old man which is corrupt according to 
the deceitful lusis,'^ is, notwithstanding his be- 
ing the eldest, and wishing so much to usurp 
authority over the younger, is, I say, to be put 
off, to be nothing counted of, to be treated with 
coolness, and to be made to serve the younger. 
And so it ought to be, since the younger is of 
far more noble blood, better bred, of better cha- 
racter; and much more capable of ruling, as he 



43. 

evidently is by the account given of him^ which 
is as follows: 

The new man is after God; here is his pa- 
rentage and high birth set forth unto us — cre- 
ated in righteousness and true holiness — here 
is the purity of his nature set forth. Now 
with respect to his capability of rulings it is 
said of him, He is renewed in kn'OWLedge, 
after the image of him that created him. And 
this knowledge, or wisdom, which is from 
above, is said to b^e ^^pure, peaceable, gentle^ 
easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good 
fruits, without partiality, and without hypo- 
crisy/^ James, iii, 17. 

Now does it not appear from all this, that th^ 
new man, though the youngest, ought to take 
the lead? And ought he not to maintain his 
right and hold fast his claim, in spite of all the 
objections which that old usurper, Esau, may 
alledge against it? Yes, he does, and I doubt 
not but God vvill defend him in it, and enable 
him to stand his ground; for this is the Jacob 
or the new man^ whom he loveth. And now^ 
sir, that you may know who to applaud, and to 
sp3ak well of to your friends atnd neighbours^ 
and who to hold in disrepute, and to charge 
with folly, I will show you in a more particu- 
lar manner what springs from these two natures 
which are struggling within yen, aud in doing 



44 

this^ I shall have to resume my formei^ maiiHer^ 
namely, of asking you questions. 

Do you at times, feel so humble and contrite 
that you are willing to take the lowest room; 
to put your hand upon your mouth and your 
mouth in the dust; to take shame to yourself^ 
and to give God all the glory and praise foF 
Vvhat he hath done for you a poor sinner? If 
30, it is a proof, a convincing proof, that the 
new man is formed in your heart; therefore 
ascribe all to grace, free grace, unmerited 
grace! 

Again — are you at times, so taken with, and 
overcome by the many charms that are in Jesus, 
our precious Rose of Sharon^ that you are 
willing to follow him whithersoever he goeth, 
and to live and die at his feet, though you 
should suffer the loss of all things here for so 
doing? If so, it is well, for most assuredly this 
is a trait of the new man; therefore, j)lace the 
whole of it under the head of grace, amazing 
grace! 

Again — do you at times, feel an inward loath- 
ing of yourself on account of the many evils 
there yet are lurking in your breast, and at the 
same time find a very great hatred to sin and 
to the ways of wicked men? If you indeed 
and in truth feel thu^, I cannot account for it 
in any other \tay, than as above; for how^ a 



i 



45 

man can hate^ detest^ and fly from that which 
is elementary to him I cannot devise. I con- 
clude^ therefore^, that if your feelings are as 
above^ they must spring from something above 
nature^ and I hope you will place them undei^ 
the head 0^f grace^ even sovereign grace! 

Again — do you at times, feel as if you were, 
willing to become any thing, so that God might 
be all in all, and have the praise and glory of 
your soul's salvation^ through time and endless 
eternity? If these also are your feelings, I 
dare to aver that they flow from a living prin- 
ciple in your soul called the new man; there- 
fore, place all such feelings under the head of 
grace, matchless grace! 

Again — is your heart at times dissolved in 
thankfulness to Almighty God for his abundant 
goodness manifested to your rebellit)us soul^ 
your eyes melted to tears under a sense of the 
mercy you have found in the Lord Jesus Christy 
and your mind absorbed in holy meditation oa 
the ineffable glory of the world above? If so^ 
it is well, for these things certainly belong to 
the new man^ and you ought to place them un- 
der the head of grace, redeeming grace! 

Again — when lesus absents himself and long 

delays his coming, is it afflicting and very paittr^ 

ful to your soul? Do you go in search of him^, 

and mourn because you cannot find him? Is 

4^ 



46 

the Bible your resort, the throne of grace your 
resort, and the house of God your resort in 
those days? Do you hunger and thirst, pant 
and long for his return? Do you think every 
day of his absence a week; look for him with 
intense desire and great anxiety of mind; seek 
him oft with an aching heart and throbbing 
breast, and appear all day long like one de- 
serted by his friend? Can you say when Jesus 
is thus away, that there is no one thing among 
all the good things of this world that can satis- 
fy the boundless desires of your immortal soul? 
If you can say so, and if you feel so, it looks as 
if you were not barren, or destitute of divine 
life, for these things never grew, nor never will 
grow in nature's garden; therefore place all 
under the head of grace, amazing grace! 

Again — whenever you are suffered to make 
a private slip, and thereby contract guilt on your 
conscience, do you not find a very great bus- 
tle and tumult within? Do you not try, judge, 
and condemn yourself; and also wonder much 
that God does not condemn you too? Do you 
not rue your folly and weakness— beg pardon 
of an offended God— confess your sin— pray 
for grace to help in time of need, and for the 
Lord to keep you in the day of temptation, for 
the future? If this be the case, it roust be 
tj»at there are two natures in you; one is Esau, 



47 

whom God hates^ and the other is Jacobs whom 
God loves. And these are contrary the one to 
the other, so that y^u cannot do the things 
that you would^ and because you cannot, you 
are grieved in heart, and are ready to judge 
yourself barren^ 

Again — do you feel a very warm attachment 
to the household of faith, to God and to his 
ways, love to converse on spiritual subjects, to 
hear the gospel preached, and to be found in 
the sanctuary of God? Do you wish for the 
prosperity of Jerusalem, pray for her welfare, 
rejoice when she is enlarged, and esteem her 
above your chief joy? If so, place the whole 
of it under the head of grace, unmerited grace? 

Again — do you sometimes secrete yourself 
from a noisy and busy world, and read your 
Bible where none can see you but God — drop 
a silent tear over the same, — weep over an in- 
jured, a slighted, an insulted, a much abused, 
and yet a compassionate Saviour? Do you 
then and there bend the knee and lift up your 
hands, eyes, and heart to a righteous God, and 
implore divine aid, return thanks for mercies 
received, and beseech him to enable yau to trust 
him for all that is to come? This is delightful 
employment indeed, and it is the work of the 
new mauj aud we ought often to be found en- 
gaged in iti Aud what shall I more say? for 



48 

the time would fail me, and perhaps tire you, 
to tell of all the good things^ pleasant fruits^ 
choice clusters^ divine sayings^ pious breath- 
ings, &c. put forth from time to time by the 
new man or new creature^ as Paul in another 
place hath it. We will, therefore, attend to 
the old man, and try to find out what he 
delights in. His hirth, we have before prov- 
ed, to be of th(S flesh, and this being the case 
with him, we cannot expect to find any thing in 
him, or to hear of any thing done by him, that 
is praise worthy. But we will give him a fair 
trial, and the following shall be the manner of 
our proceeding with him at this time. 

When at any time you would do good and 
serve God acceptably and offer up unto him a 
tribute of praise, which you consider to be his 
due, are you interrupted^ by having many dif- 
ficulties laid in your way, and many queries 
presented to your mind, respecting the neces- 
sity of these things being attended to, on which 
account they are ofteii neglected by you? If 
so, you may take it for granted, , that the old 
man is at the bottom of it all. ^^When I 
would do good, evil is present with me,^' says 
Paul. 

Again — do you at times, when reading the 
Bible, and when before God in prayer, find 
your thoughts to vv^uder far Avvay from the Bi- 



I 



49 

ble, from prayer^ and from God, and you there- 
by much dismayed, confused, and so grieved 
in spirit, that you are just ready to conclude it 
is all in vain that you read the Bible, and call 
upon God in prayer? if this be the case with 
you, I would advise you to place the greatest 
part, if not the whole of this mischief, to the 
old man^ or in other words, to the law of sin ^ 
lahich is in your members. 

Again — do you sometimes feel cold, torpid, 
and supine, and religion appear a poor insipid 
thing, scarcely worth your attention? and at 
such times, is not the world and the things of it 
very much before your eyes and on your mind^ 
yea, so much so, that they are not far from be- 
ing all in all with you? If you have, at any 
time, feelings like these, you may thank the 
devil and the old man for them, if you think 
them worth it; for these two are colleagues, and 
have been, I believe, for near six thousand 
years. What one purposes, the other sanctions; 
and thus they go on, hand and glove together, 
persecuting tlie new man of the heart, which 
is born of God. 

Again — is not your heart at times considera- 
bly uplifted and carried away with fantastical 
notions about human greatness, as though it 
was a thing of such worth as ought to be at- 
tended to? And do you not, from a beginning;^ 



5Q 

like this, become self important and self con* 
ceited, and appear in your own eyes bigger by 
one half than what you really are? And are 
you not at such times, ready secretly to think 
religion almost beneath your notice, and that to 
become great and respectable in the world you 
must soar into an atmosphere above religion? 
This, as Paul says, is being vainly puffed up by 
the fleshy mind. And this puffed up complaint 
operates on the soul, as an abscess does on the 
body; and, is indeed, far more pernicious and 
dangerous, as it so very sensibly affects the in- 
tellects, that the patient often in the height of 
the disorder, fancies himself to be what in 
truth he is not; and when he comes to himself 
a little, so as in a measure to see through the 
cheat, the nature of the disorder is such, that 
he feels mortified because he is not so great as 
he wishes to be. If you, sir, have been in this 
snare and have trod this path, you may safely 
venture to place the whole account to the Devil 
and depraved nature^ who, as I said before, 
always go in co. 

Again — all rebellious thoughts, blasphemous 
thoughts, obscene thouivhts, despairing thoughts, 
worldly tlioughts: together with a thousand 
other things contrary to sound doctritie, and to 
the new man. arc brought forth by this Esau, 
this child of tlie flesh, through the Devil's 



61 

Working upon it. And all the time thinojs go 
on in this way, you will^ if you are a christian^ 
find a conflict and a warfare in your mind, for, 
as Paul says, ^^the flesh lusteth (or warreth) 
against the spirit^ and the spirit against the 
feslin and these two, (i. e. the old man and the 
new,) are contrary the one to the other,'^ and 
I wish you may have discernment enough to dis- 
tinguish them and to give each one his due. 

We may say of the old mav^ and of the new^ 
as Paul savs in another case, ••The first man 
is of the earthy earthy: the second man is from 
heaven.^' And it is with this new principle 
of grace in our souls, that we serve God accep- 
tably; and if we are destitute of this divine 
jirinciple, all our service is hut bodily exercise^ 
which Paul says profifetli little. Nay more^ 
if we are not partakers of the divine nature^ as 
Peter speaks, all our attainments, abilities, 
liglit. sanctity, zeal, liberality, and our pre. 
tended love, joy, peace, faith, hope, and hu- 
mility, will go out, or die like a torch at noon, 
and leave us the worst of fools. 

Whereas, on the other hand, if we are made 
partakers of the free grace of God, though this 
grace may be opposed by the old man of sin, 
and the warfare kept up through life, though 
we at times are much put to it for arms and am- 
lUUuition, and, on some occasions, are just rea- 



52 

dy to turn back in the day of battle, ye^, 
through God who is on our side, we shall as- 
suredly be saved in the day of his power. 

Oh! that we may, from these considerations, 
closely examine ourselves whether we are in 
the faith or not. If we are, it is well for us; 
but if we are not, it will be ill with us. It is a 
great as well as a good thing to be a christian; 
and it consists in something more than outside 
appearance. It consists in a radical change of 
heart, and that change effected by almighty 
power. If we have undergone this change, we 
are born of God, and shall never come into con- 
demnation, for he that hath begotten us again 
to a lively hope, will never leave, but will be 
with us to the end of our journey, and then pre- 
sent us spotless before his throne, where we 
shall chant his high praises for ever. 

But I observe again-^ — where these two oppo- 
sites dwell, I mean nature and grace^ there 
will, of course, be a strife in the mind, which 
strife, or struggle, is often productive of great 
anguish of soul, and such painful forebodings, 
that the christian ctften wonders how it can be, 
that he is a child of^od, and yet feel such eb- 
bings and flowings, such wars and tumults 
within. Yes, the twins struggling within him, 
iTiake him cry out, in the bitterness of his so'd, 
and under sad fears of his hearths being barren 



53 

of all that is good^ ^^ Why am I thus?'^ Now I s^y 
again, my son, that if it be thus with you, it is 
truly a good sign that the good work of gi^ace 
is begun in your soul; and as to the strife within 
you, be not dismayed at it. We all know that 
fire and water will oppose each other on the 
same hearth^ and so will grace and corruption 
in the same heart. A christian hath an uni- 
versal strife within himself, for reason against 
reason, judgment against judgment, will against 
will, and affection against affection, will be at 
variance, even if we do our best. And if you 
are observant of the exercises of your mind^ 
and watchful of what is going on within your 
breast, you will always find, that the destruc- 
tion of the old man^ is the life of the new; and, 
whenever the former increases in strength and 
boldness, the latter will decrease in strength 
and become inactive. And when this is the 
case, you will be filled with doubts, fears, and 
strong suspicion, respecting the goodness or the 
safty of your state and standing before a heart- 
searching God; and will write, it is likely^ 
many bitter things against yourself, and per- 
haps a;^ainst God too; all which tend very much 
to strengthen the former and to weaken the 
latter. And as you will sensibly feel these 
things and feel your own leanness and wretch- 
edness, you will be ready to conclude that yod 
5 



54 

are a stranger to grace, and in the dark about 
divine things, ignorant of God, and in the gall 
of bitterness. Now all this arises from ^Hhe 
flesh lusting against the spirit*/^ or the old man 
being opposed to the new. 

And, inasmuch as he is seditious, conten- 
tious, a traitor, a rebel against God; and that 
the loyal subjects of the Great King cannot live 
in peace where he is, J, James Osboiirn^ a 
jteace officer under the King ofkingSy doj on 
this twenty 'fifth day of the first month, in the 
year of our blessed Lord eighteen hundred 
and twenty-one, imperiously authorize you, 
my son, to put into full force against the 
aforesaid old man, alias human nature, a 
statute law, enacted in the year of the world 
two thousand fioe hundred and fifty-two, which 
runs thus, "\i a man have a stubborn and re- 
bellious son, which will not obey the voice of 
his father, or the voice of his mother, and that 
when they have chastened him, will not heark- 
en unto them; then shall his father and his mo- 
ther lay hold on him, and bring him out unto 
the elders of the city, and unto the gate of his 
place, and they shall say unto the elders of 
his city, This our son is stubborn and rebel- 
lious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glut- 
ton, and a drunkard. And all the men of his 
citv shall stone him with stones, that he die: so 



DO 



shalt thou put evil away from among you^ and 
all Israel shall hear^ and fear.^^ Deut. xxi. 18^ 
19y20y2l. And which law was revised in 
the year of our Lord fifty-eight, and in sub- 
stance recorded thus, ^^Crucify the old man 
with the affections and lusts/' GaL v. 24. 

And now^ that you may attend to your duty 
in a prudent and christian like manner, I 
will lay before you a few directions how you 
are to proceed; and I vvish you may prove suc- 
cessful, but I very much doubt whether you 
will or not. 

1. Be continually casting stones at him, lay 
hands on him, discountenp^ce him, rail against 
him, wage war with him, raise mounts against 
him, expose him to the elders of the city, i, e. 
tell of his tricks to the ministers of the gospel^ 
and get them to preach against him, or, in 
other words, to cast stones at him^ and thereby 

maim him most cruellv. 

*/ 

2. Hunt him as Saul hunted David; worry 
him night and day, and never give up the chase 
till you have brought him to yield — cut this 
Ishmael off with a shilling, and pay all possible 
attention to Isaac the new man; — Nail this old 
Barabbas to the cross, so that Jesus the babe 
may be spared. 

3. Do with him as Christ did with the 
money changers, i. e. drive him out of the tern- 



56 

pll^f pronoutice' a woe on him^ make interees,- 
sion against him^ build against him with hewn 
atones^ mock him, way -lay him, hiss at him^ 
turn him out of the camp and quarter him at 
the cross roads, where the lepers used to be 
made to stand; serve him with a writ of error, 
take him by the throat, clap him in prison, 
make his feet fast in the stocks, put him on 
jail allowance, and pray that he may die 
there* 

4. Serve him as his accomplices served our 
Lord, namely, smite him on the head, spit in 
his face, stab him in the side, gargle his throat 
with gall and vinegar; make it your chief study 
and daily care to crucify him with all his af- 
fections and lusts; yea, as we say, beat him 
black and blue, for it is no breach of law so 
to do. 

5. Pluck out his eyes, as the Philistines did 
Sampson's, shave off* his hair and so take away 
his strength. Oblige him to keep a perpetual 
fast, to creep on his belly, as the serpent does, 
that he may thereby fall into an incurable 
consumption, and so lose his activity and in- 
fluence. Stop his ears, as Stephen's auditors 
did theirs; and with David, curb him with a 
bitt; or as Agabus served Paul, bind him hand 
and foot with a girdle^ so that he may not 



57 

move^ peep, listen, nor whisper in your breast 
any more for ever. 

6. Endeavor to strangle all his ill motions in 
the porch of life, that none of them may have 
a timelj birth. We all know very well, not 
only from the word of God, but from expe- 
rience also, that he lusteth to envy; and if his 
lust conceives^ he will labour day and night 
to bring forth all manner of concupiscence; it 
lays with you therefore, to try to check the 
growth, yea, to prevent the birth of such a 
progeny as this. 

7. Bray this old fool in a mortar, trample 
him under foot, pulverize him to powder. And 
if you fail in this, try and deal with him as 
Samuel dealt with Agag, hew him in pieces 
before the Lord; or, as was done to the Le- 
vite's concubine, force him to death, cut him in 
twelve pieces and send them into all the coast 
of Israel, and God shall commend you for so 
doing, 

8. Now if you should prove unsuccessful 
in these things, and he will yet be contentious^ 
a breaker of your peace, and a rebel against 
God, this do, make him a mendicant^ give him 
a pass to beg all his days; or make him live 
like a monk of the order of idleness; or thus^ 
may it please your honor to consecrate him 
to Baalj permit him to be his priest; that he 

5* 



S8 

may lance his putrified fleshy and at last/hce 
Judas like^ become his own executioner. 

Do all this, my son, or at least make the at- 
tempt, for none but the devil and wicked men 
will mourn at his death, or attempt to raise him 
up again. And when this Saul is dead, then 
young David shall grow stronger and stronger, 
and his kingdom be a peacable one; and then 
shall be brought to pass the saying that is 
written, ^^In that day there shall be no more the 
Canaanite in the house of the Lord of Host/^ 
Zech. xiv. 21. And, I am verily persuaded, 
my son, that if you can bring to a close the life 
of this eld man^ his death will be congratulated 
by all the household of faith, and perhaps your 
name immortalized into the bargain; for ever 
since he first made his appearance in this our 
universe, he has been a very great pest and 
torment to all the loyal subjects of the King of 
kings, whether they have resided in Pontus, 
Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, Bithynia, or else- 
where; and by the said subjects, he has been 
way- laid, spoken against, hooted at, pursued, 
taken, imprisoned, cited at the bar, tried and 
condemned a thousand times twice told, and as 
often escaped death; and hence he is now con- 
sidered and generally known as one outlawed. 
And, therefore, if you can so lay hold on him, as 
■to bereave him gf lifc; you shall be more renown- 



99 

ed in the streets of Zion than was the stripling 
David in the Hebrew camp for taking ofT the 
head of Goliah of Gath. Did Goliah defy 
the armies of the living God? and make his 
boast of what he could and would do? He 
did. But what has this old man done? or ra- 
ther what has he not done? He has, times out of 
number;, impiously defied God, rebelled against 
God, charged God foolishly, disquieted the 
household of faith, and has caused and still 
is causing great uneasiness in the minds of the 
weaklings in faith. Yea, more, he has public- 
ly declared a perpetual war against all that is 
lovely and good, and is determined to stand it 
out so long as his name stands for what it does. 

Most men as they get old, become feeble and 
inactive; but not so with this old man; his eye 
is not yet dim, in one sense of the word, and 
yet in another, he is as blind as a bat; nor is 
his natural force or strength abated. His 
strength and influence has been and still is such 
that he often makes the most valiant men in 
Israel to groan, to cry out, to mourn sore like 
doves, to tremble, to fear, to limp as they go^ 
and to hang down their heads like bullrushes. 

He made one of these brave men say, "1 am 
ready to halt;'' another, '^^I am afraid, and 
trembling taketh hold on my flesh;'' another, 
^^1 shall go to the gates of the grave j I am 



60 

deprived of the residue of my years;^^ another. 
^^Cursed be the day wherein I was born;'^ ano- 
ther, ^^0 Lord, take, I beseech thee my life 
from me; for it is better for me to die than to 
live;^^ another, ^^Depart from me for I am a 
sinful man, O Lord;'^ and another, ^^0 wretch- 
ed man that I am, who shall deliver me from 
the body of this death/^ Psa. xxviii, 17. Job. 
xxi. 6. Isa* xxxviii, 10. Jer. xx. 14. Jonah, iv. 
3. Luke. v. 8. Rom. vii. 21. The above say- 
ings will give you, my son, some idea of what 
this old man can do; and you may rely on it, 
that he is hated by all good men in Christen- 
dom. 

But you, perhaps, are anxious to know whe- 
ther something cannot be done in this case, or 
whether there is not something on foot alrea- 
dy, only in a great measure hid from you; for 
if the continuation of such outrageous offences 
and unparalleled depredations as are still like 
to be perpetrated by him, is to depend on what 
you can do towards bringing him to condign 
punishment, the dear saints of God throughout 
the world, can have but little else to expect, than 
that of continual war and bloodshed. I am 
right glad, my son, that you are so much con- 
cerned about this business, and can sympathise 
with the household of faith. But I must tell 



61 

you^ there is something on foot already cou- 
Gerning this thing, and it is, in brief, this: 

The new man^ who always takes a decided 
stand in favour of the Lord and all his disci- 
ples, has accepted the old man^s challenge — 
has become his competitor — made several very 
bold attacks upon him — declared himself inde- 
pendent, invincible, and from God. And 
though it be true that the old man is the first 
born, yet I am pretty certain, that I have see» 
in print some where, and that not long ago, 
these very words, ^-The elder shall serve the 
younger.^' If this be true, and I am confident 
in my own mind it is, it is easy to see, that 
the old man is in a state of slavery, notwith- 
standing the great splutter he is making of 
what he can and will do, and that a complete 
victory on the part of the new man^ will be the 
final issue of the contest. The old man must 
die for the new; for -^grace shall reign through 
righteousness unto eternal life.^^ The new man 
being from above, and receiving continual sup- 
plies from God, he will always be able to re- 
cover his standing, admitting he is made to re- 
treat now and then. Many partial victories 
are gained by the first born, and it is this that 
keeps him in such high spirits, but he who sees 
the end from the beginning, knows how it will 
terminate; and he will defend and support the 



62 

new man in his cause; for the war is a holy 
one^ and God^ who is holy^ will vindicate his 
own interest. 

But I must confess, it makes one's life very 
unpleasant at times, to be thus pestered with 
this body of sin, even though we may, and do, 
hope it will all end well with us. The new man 
being free born, and of a peaceable disposition^ 
he, in course, is fond of peace, and he knows 
where it is to be found, even in him who gave 
him birth. And freedom also he is as fond of^ 
that being his natural element^ and for it he 
will contend, for he would rather contend, 
though contrary to the bent of his mind, than 
to give up his liberty and right, I myself 
have known the contest between these two op- 
ponents to be so strong, and the victory, as I 
have thought, so precarious, that to save my 
life, I could not tell how it would terminate. 
And I have always observed, that the sharpest 
encounters have happened in the night, so that 
I have not been able to say who was on the 
Lord's side or who was not, until the morning 
light. I have suffered amazingly on this head, 
perhaps more than many. 

I have halted, staggered, swooned, fell down, 
cried out, mourned, groaned, wrung my hands, 
called for aid, and struggled, as though in the 
agoniea of death. I have, on such occasions, 



63 

been made so sore, tender, and feeble, that I 
have gone linjping and hanging down my head 
for weeks together. 

But, blessed be God, I have, on the other 
hand, had some most comfortable seasons. The 
new man has been lively, fresh and green, and 
has evidently ruled and reigned with authority; 
at which time.the old man has skulked off, and I 
have v ewed hun in all his deformity /'and as 
one of the greatest usurpers in the world, and 
have been pained at my heart to hear men 
speak in his favour. Yes, I have; at such 
times, viewevi him an enemy to truth, a foe to 
free and sovereign grace, a rebel against God, 
averse to all that is good, blind to spiritual 
things, too wild to be tamed, too bad to be 
made better, too proud to yield, too self-willed 
to be ruled, wholly carnal, totally depraved^ 
quite earthly, sensual, and devilish. 

I have tried to make him better; I have tried 
to bear with him; and, indeed, I must bear with 
him, for what cannot be cured, must be endur- 
ed. I have tried lo put the best construction 
on him and his ways that I could, and to make 
every allowance for him, and yet by closely 
watching him, and by judging impartially, I 
find him to be a juggler, and continually lasU 
irig to envy. But a better description, per- 
diaps; never was given of him, than tlie one 



64 

given by Paul, thus, ^^Thatyeput off concern- 
ing the former conversation the old man, which 
is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts." 
Eph. iv. 22. I know very well, both by obser- 
vation and experience, that he is in alliance 
with Satan and all wicked men, and with them 
he is daily plotting against the just, trying to 
make void the counsels of God, and devising 
schemes to dethrone the Tiew man, I know, 
moreover, there are but few professors ac- 
quainted with him and his deceitful workings; 
and of preachers fewer yet, that know any 
thing of him, any more than by name, or that 
can describe him and his ways, excepting with 
mere cant terms, owing to their being destitute 
of the next' rnan^ by which we come at a right 
knowledge of the former. 

In the heart where the new man is not form- 
ed, the old man is all in aU^ and whatever he 
does or dictates to be done, is law. And 
hence, if a person wishes to become religious, 
the old tenant has no objection to it, so that it 
is but a mere nominal thing. If he can but 
rule, it is all he wants; he had as leave be at 
the head of a religious party as to preside over 
a banditti. It is rivalry that he hates and is 
determined to oppose, and as soon as ever tlie 
mew man is crowned, or formed in the son\^ he 
"^ill appear in character, and show his impla- 



65 

cable enmity against his rival, against God^ 
who crowned him^ and against the person who 
possesses him. 

And if he should, at any time, seem to crouch 
and humble himself^ it is that the poor saint 
may fall by his strong onesy to wit, the devil 
and wicked men; for they are his allies, or 
strong ones. And this crouching and hum- 
bling work, is considered by many the eifects 
of the grace of God, and that the old man is 
really getting better; and the devil, who al- 
v/ays co-operates with him, raiseth up and 
sendeth forth preachers, with a great deal of 
mock sanctity, and voluntary humility to 
strengthen the cheat, by extolling the good 
deeds done by the said old man. Now the 
chief business of these blind guides, or letter 
preachers, is, to exhort dead sinners to do 
what they are not able to do^ and to send the 
saints of God to the law^ to judge of their 
standing before the Lord; and these men being 
of a legal spirit, they communicate the same to 
the saints, which causes them to groan and 
mourn, and, as a darkness is on their minds^ 
they cannot see the cause or source from 
whence their distress arises, so that instead of 
coming out from among them, as they are com- 
manded to do, they write bitter things against 
themselves^ and often charge God foolishly^ in- 
6 



66 

-atead of charging these foolish preachers with 
•pvtaclnng foolishness^ and of being out of the 
secret that lies between God and those who 
love and fear him. As to carnal professors^ 
they .receive this spirit gladly^ it being conge- 
nial with their carnal hearts; and they not ha- 
ving a principle of grace within — being igno- 
rant of their real state and standing before 
God — taking tliis legal spirit for the Spirit 
of God, and these disciples of Moses for ser- 
vants of the Lord, they become enamoured with 
them and their preaching, and will follow 
them, extol them, and support them through 
all. And these sort of professors being by far 
the most numerous, is the reason why mere 
letter preachers are the most popular, as is the 
case in our day and has been in all ages of the 
world. This is an evil which I have seen un- 
der the sun, in every city, in every town, in 
every village, and in every country place 
where I have been. And human nature^ and 
the father of lies, are the instigators and sup- 
porters of the whole of it, and are well pleas- 
ed with this fashionable religion; and they con- 
sider their interest as much promoted by it as 
by open vice. Not, however, that this is the 
only engine they have at vvoik, for all the dia- 
bolical pranks, obscene tricks, deep frauds, 
hypocniical movements; assassinations^ sui- 



67 

eides, rapine^ deflorations and heresies; ye^^ 
all the dark and wicked manoeuvres carried on 
under the sun^ they are the projectors of, and 
they are as restless as the tide, turbulent as 
the wind, ravenous as a lion, mischievous as 
Satan, and as guileful as a fox; and hence the 
christian has enough to do to encounter these 
ruffians, and so he will find it, so long as the 
old man liveth, and the devil is in league with 
him. I, however, have known this Esau, this 
fiirst born, to be quite inactive, and as though 
dead for a time; and I have really hoped,, if 
not dead, that he was wholly out of office, and 
that I should enjoy the benefits of it all my 
days; but at length, I have found, that this dor- 
mant state was out of mere constraint^ and not 
from his being any better in kind. Jacob once 
got hold of Esau^s heel, and so it happens in 
the present case, now and then, and when it is 
so^ the old man is prevented from doing what he 
otherwise w ould do. And, at such times, it is 
surprising to see how his strong ones exert 
themselves in his behalf^ by trying to extricate 
his feet from the hands of the new man — for 
while they are there, they cannot be said 
to be swift to shed bloody and his strong ones 
knowing this, they do all they can to set them 
free. And strange as it may seem, it never- 
theless is true, the method pitched on by 



68 

Satan in such a case as this^ is^ generally to 
irritate, provoke, and to excite the old man to 
wrath^ in order that he may struggle most des- 
perately, and thereby disentangle himself from 
the hands of Jacob, or the new mam. Isaiah 
speaks of the enemy coming in like a flood; and 
Paul says, we are not ignorant of his devices; 
and among the rest, I think I may say, that I 
know something of his tricks, and also many of 
the windings and turnings of the old man of 
sin^ or in other words, human nature 

And I am persuaded, that those who know^ 
the most of him, have the least to say in his fa- 
vour. But the grief is, there are but few who 
know any thing of him by experience, and if 
they should, at any time, speak of him, it is 
only what relates to his more gross acts: but 
as it respects his religious movements, they are 
in the dark about it; here they are out-general- 
ed by him and his strong ones. 

A man may be called a general, and yet not 
have skill to marshal an army aright. And a 
man may be called an anatomist, and yet not 
know how to dissect a human body as it ought 
to be done. And so here; a man may go by 
the name of a gospel preacher, and yet not 
know^ hov/ to describe the Shulamite, which is 
as a company of two armies; nor be able to 
anatomize this old man^ point out his linea- 



II 



69 

ments^ describe his parts, show his strength, 
explain his propensities, estimate the mischief 
he does, follow him in his serpentine paths, or 
to make known what he is aiming at, under all. 
And because many, who go by the name of gos- 
pel preachers are not able to do these things, 
I, like king David on another occasion, would 
advise them to tarry at Jericho until their 
beards begrown^ and then return to the pulpit^ 
S Sara. X. 5. And, as they cannot anatomize 
the old man^ in course they cannot dissect the 
Tiew^ and this being the case, they are no more 
fit for the pulpit than an ignorant anatomist is 
to dissect a dead body, or an unexperienced 
general to lead an army into a field of battle. 

None can see and describe the various work- 
ings of flesh and spirit, or the old and new 
man, but men truly taught of God; it is a secret 
which carnal men, however wise in other 
things, cannot comprehend, a mystery too pro- 
found for them to scan, a conflict too intricate 
for them to give a true statement of, and a war 
which they were never engaged ia. If, at any 
time, as often is the case, a letter preacher un- 
dertakes to speak on this subject, and to give 
his opinion of this warfare, a discerning chris- 
tian may see enough by the manner of his 
handling the subject, to induce him to cry out^ 
like one of old, and say to him, ^^Alas! master^ 
ft* 



70 

it was borrowed/^ i. e. he gathered the whole 
statement made from books, and from what he 
lias heard others say on the subject. I have 
seen instances of this almost out of number. In 
doctrinal points they are not half so much at a i\ 
loss; for these things they can and do learn in ^ ' 
so systematic a way^ as to go on for years, 
and indeed all their days, undiscovered and un- 
suspected, even by many of the household of 
faith; and yet they are but carnal men, and 
mere letter preachers; and we have not a few 
of them in our day. 

How rare it is to meet with a preacher who 
can in a «criptural and in an experimental way^ ^ 
describe the conflicts of a christian, his intri- 
^^te path, the workings of the two natures, the 
stratagems of Satan, the deceitfulness of the 
heart, the spirituality of God's holy law, the 
operations of the Holy Ghost on the soul, and 
the freedom and liberty of the gospel, I shall 
leave you, my son, to determine. If, however, 
there be such a person in the borough where 
you reside, I beseech you, by all that is good to 
let me know it in your next communication to 
me, and if my health is spared, I wi!l as surely 
oome and hear him as I draw the breath of life,i 
and will try and compare notes with him on 
all the above points, and if I should find hint 
.^c/i as I i€&uli^ I shaH be indueed to set Iiiflf 



71 

down as a real disciple of our Lord's. I very 
highly prize such men, and one reason is;> be- 
cause they are so rare to be met with. 

Doctrinal points and christian experience in 
general terms, are easy to be got at; but a 
thorough acquaintance with the old and new 
man lies far beyond the ken of natural sight. 
Christians themselves are not so well acquaint- 
ed with those things as they might be and 
would be, were they more observant of what 
passes within them from time to time. 

But whether they know these things or not, 
it is an indisputable fact, that one or the other 
of these two natures is always in motion, and 
very generally both together. And my advice 
to you is, that you give a good look-out and be 
sure to ''render unto Cesar the things that 
are Cesar^s^ and unto God the things that ar& 
God^s;^^ and when it is well with thee remem- 
ber me. 

And now respecting my visiting your famous 
borough. I believe that in all my communica- 
tions to you I have dropt something on this 
subject: and to this day, I am so cramped up 
through having so many things to attend to^ 
that 1 cannot say when I shall be able to be 
with you. But I hope you will write to me as 
soon as convenient, and neither spare pen, ink^ 
cr paper* I am glad to find that you so very 



72 

highly approve and are any ways benefited by 
my sermon which I sent jou. It always glad- 
dens my heart and strengthens my feeble faith^ 
when I hear^ (as blessed be God 1 often do,) of 
any one's being profited by my preaching or 
by reading my books; and the more so as there 
is a great hue and cry out against me, and 
them. But I can bear with it, and see through 
it. Some, I am persuaded, object to ray 
preaching and writing, purely out of ignorance 
of what is truth; I mean graceless professors 
and blind guides, with which sort of gentry 
our country is overrun. Others, again, disap- 
prove of me and of my books out of envy, 
which is as cruel as the grave; and who indeed 
can stand before envy? Envy is like carnal 
love, it blinds the eyes and prejudices the 
mind, and eats as doth a canker. God grant 
that we may be kept from this root of bitter- 
ness and from every other evil, and be saved at 
last in Jesus with an everlasting salvation. I 
am determined through grace divine to conti- 
nue to preach and to write what I believe to be 
the truth, though envy may lodge a thousand 
complaints against me for so doing. I am fully 
persuaded in my mind, that I shall not suffer 
half so much from th^ir complaints ^ as they of 
course must from the cause which produces 
them; to wit; envy. And as for the hissing of 



73 

the generation of vipers^ I pay no more regard^ 
to it than I do to the croaking of a frog. I 
have another work now nearly ready for the 
press^ which will contain about three hundred 
pages, of the same fold as my other works* " I 
also have written by far the greatest part of 
my own life^ which I intend for the press when 
finished. 

Write to me, dear sir, as soon as you can, and 
be as explicit as possible. Write as if you 
were writing to a friend^ as you are when wri- 
ting to 

JAMES OSBOURN. 
Baltimore^ January 27thy 1821. 



LETTER VI. 

« 

Dear Friends, 

Grace^ mercij^ and truth be with you all^ Amen. 

It is with pleasure, yes, with peculiar plea- 
sure that I now address you. I can truly say 
that I find my heart very strongly tied to you. 

I was so well gratified with my visit to G g 

that I shall not forget it in a hurry. As my visit 
was not in vain on my part, so I hope it was not 
altogether in vain on yours, I hope* also^ you 



74 

will all look to Jesus, and in him see the salva- 
tion of God. When in danger, he is a refuge; 
when in trouble, he is a resting place; and when 
panting for thirst, he is the fountain of living 
water — J)lessed fountain! dear Jesus! glorious 
Redeemer! 

Are you, at times, fearful whether you are 
his dear children and true followers, because 
you see so many defects in your lives; because 
your hearts are not more melted down at his 
blessed feet; because you do not enjoy more 
of his smiles; because your aifections are not 
more drawn out towards him; because you do 
not serve him better; and because you do not 
feel and find yourselves so lively as you did 
when first you knew a Saviour's love? If this 
be the case, you are not alone, therefore don't 
despair. Be often calling to mind God's first 
beginning a good work in your souls; ' when 
you were first brought to mourn for sin; when 
you were first obliged to look up to God fop 
help; when you first sought him, sorrowing in 
the fields and woods; when the day first dawned 
in your benighted minds; as also when you first 
found peace and comfort; when first you expe- 
rienced the pardon of your sins through the 
blood of the Lamb; when you first leaned on a 
Saviour's bosom and rejoiced in him O! my 
friends; never forget those days^ if you know 



7S 

any thing of them. And also remember that 
Jesus is still the same: his love is the same; and 
his grace and truth the same; and he is still 
wooing and inviting you to come to him What 
Joseph, who was a type of Christ, once said to 
his brethren, Christ says to all his followers, 
viz. ^^Come near to me my brethren.*^ How 
free is this invitation! and how expressive are 
these words, of our near relation to Christ the 
great head of the church! Christ's bosom and 
his arms are ever open to receive you; and 
they are able also to bear you up and to bring 
you safe through all. O! fly, fly to these arms^ 
and remember the name they bear also, Ever- 
LAsriiNGJ! ^^The eternal God is thy refuge^ 
and underneath are the everlasting arms.'' 
Deut. xxxiii. 27. 

Whatever are your difficulties while passing 
through this life, never despair so long as the 
above text stands good and Christ knows how 
to deliver and is kind to save. Your wants, be 
they more or less, are all known to Jesus. Do 
you wish to love the Lord more? he knov s it. 
Do you desire to put your whole trust in him? 
he knows it. Do you hate sin, and long to be 
free from it? he knoxvs it. Does Satan try to 
stop up your path, annoy your soul, and keep 
you in captivity? Jesus knoAS it, and iie will 
-shortly bruise the old Dragon under your feetr 



76 

Wait thon, my friends, wait^ I say, on the Lord 
God of Israel in prayer, and read the Bible 
often. Has not Jacob's God been good to you? 
Has he not been a fruiti'ul field instead of a 
barren wilderness? Do not reqnite him evil 
for good then; for so sure as you do, it will re- 
coil upon you in a coming day. Be diligent in 
the use of those means which God hath put in- 
to your hands. Beg of God to guide you by 
his spirit, to be kept humble in his fear, and to 
enjoy his presence. If you are called to suflTer, 
pray to bear it with patience. We read of 
some who rejoiced that they were counted wor- 
thy to suffer shame for the sake of Christ — of 
others, taking joyfully the spoiling of their 
goods — of others, singing at midnight when 
shut up in prison — of others, forsaking all for 
Christ — of others, having trial of cruel mock- 
ings and scourgings, yea, of bonds and impri- 
sonment- &c. Indeed, the truth is, w^e must 
suifer with, or for Christ here on earth, before 
we are entitled to reign with him in glory; as 
it is written, "If we suffer, we shall also reign 
with him '' And after all is said and done, 
what are all our sufferings on earth when once 
compared with what Christ went tlirough for 
lis. He toiled through life, he was born to suf- 
fer, and suffer he did, and at last in dreadful 



77 

agony gave up the ghost on the ignominious 
tree. 

My friends, gaze, gaze intensely on this sin- 
bearing Saviour. View him stooping under 
the weight of our iniquities. View him suf- 
fering all that fierce wrath and malediction ex- 
pressed in a broken law. View him grap- 
pling with the powers of darkness, and con- 
tending with that old seducer. View him in 
the wine-press of his father^s wrath alone^ with 
none to help him. View him when despised 
of men and rejected, a man of sorrows and ac- 
quainted with grief. View this immaculate Lamb 
standing in the guilty sinner's room and stead. 
View him with his arms extended, with his side 
broached, and with the sponge at his mouth on 
the cross. View him in the silent tomb a life- 
less corpse. View him as a God, breaking 
forth from this subterraneous lodgement, and 
after a while returning triumphant home. And 
after you have thus viewed him, tell me w hat 
all this could mean; and be sure nev r to 
forget, that by all these things a founda' m is 
laid for a song of everlasting praise to this wor- 
thy Lamb. It is said, Christ was made a 
curse for us. These words include the whole 
of Christ's sorrows. For as all evils are con- 
tained in God's curse, so our Lord suffered and 
sustained all sorts and kinds of evils due to sin. 
7 



78 

His atonement consisted in the imputation of 
sin in its guilt and filth, with all its cursed 
concomitants and various aggravations^ toge- 
ther with the uttermost shock of divine wrath, 
the whole load of law curses and the infinite 
vengeance of a highly provoked God. By 
these means Christ hath removed all the sins 
from his dear people out of the way of law and 
justice; so that when they are sought for they 
cannot be found, for they are all abolished by 
Christ. 

O! what a strong and lasting foundation there 
is in the blood of this glorious Christ for our 
comfort and encouragement. Christ's blood 
hath in it all the efiicacy of eternal Godhead: 
and what wounds are so deep, that they can- 
not be healed by the sovereign balsam of so 
rich a blood? What sins are too great to be 
expiated? And what diseases too bad to be 
cured by the blood of him who made the world? 
How rich is that blood, since it is the blood of 
the Son of God, and must therefore have infi- 
nitely more of value in it, than all sins can have 
of guilt, since they are the sins of finite men. 
The blood of Christ is as much above the guilt 
of our sins, as the excellency of his person is 
above the meanness of ours. 0! my friends re- 
.joice in this Saviour and in what he hath done, 



79 

cind make your boast of him all the day long. 
Put your whole trust in him and never despair. 

Give my love to friend W , to his mother^ 

to my German friends, to Mrs. B and your 

two sisters, to the Rev. Mr, M'C , and his 

spouse. Write soon and let me know how you 
are going on, and what has passed between 

Mr. W— and you on the subject of baptism. 

My next will inform you when I shall come. I 
fully expect it will be next month. Preaching 

at T next Sunday week. When I come 

I shall try to stop two or three weeks, and 
preach wherever a door opens. I am thine in 
love. 

J. OSBOURN. 

Baltimore f June Sth, 1821. 



LETTER VIL 

VENERAnLE SiR, 

Grace and peace be with thee. 
Perhaps the first sight of this will a little 
surprise you as it is possible my name is to you 
unknown. And lest a suspicion should arise 
in your mind that this letter is a mere cheat 
and the author an impostor, permit me to ob- 
serve, that about six years ago I left the city 



82 

fei'ing of body and distress of mind must be-— 
A total stranger — -almost pennyless — four hun- 
dred miles from home — in almost one continual 
rack bf pain—a much beloved wife and five 
helpless children, all pressing like a heavy at- 
nidsphere on my already broken spirit^ and to 
make my suffering quite complete, by God, 
(at times,) deserted. 

When at any time I fancied my wife and 
chydren to be standing around my bed, en- 
deavouring to administer relief to an afflicted 
husband and father, and then startle up from 
so pleasing a reverie, and find it to be but a 
m^re vision of the brain, it has harrowed up 
all my parental feelings, and left a wound that 
has bled for hours. 

At the expiration of six weeks, I was re- 
inx)ved on a bed into a settlement of baptists, 
where I began to preach before I was able to 
make use of crutches. And to this day my leg 
is of no use to me, but it is straight, and I keep 
preaching and have moved along slowly to the 
place where^I now/am, which is about eighty 
miles from where I was confined. 

I, in my present condition, have more thaa 
once, preached seven times a week, but what I 
suffer in so doing no one knows but myself. 
I am bound, however, to believe all is rights 



83 

aftd that all will end well, however things may 
appear to me at present. 

I would visit your city, now I am in the state, 
but for two reasons; 1 . I am too poor in pocket 
to undertake so expensive a journey. 2. It 
might so turn out that I should not be able to 
accomplish my object in coming; I therefore, 
have concluded to write to you on the subject, 
and state what object it is which I should keep 
in view, admitting I was to visit you. 

As I met with so serious an accident on my 
way to this state, I concluded to take out pro- 
posals for publishing my work by subscription 
when I was at Salisbury; but being so very 
lame, I am not able to get about to do much 
even at this. If, therefore, you would have the 
goodness to put the two subscription papers 
which I here send to you into the hands of some 
active person or persons, and request them to 
get me what subscribers they can, a favour will 
be conferred on me of such a magnitude, and I 
should consider myself under such an obliga- 
tion to you and the friends acting for me, that I 
never should be able to discharge. If this my 
request be granted, permit me to observe, that 
I shall want the names of the subscribers soon 
enough to print them with the work. If, 
therefore, they can be forwarded to me at 



80 

of New- York and came and settled in the city 
of Baltimore^ which is now the place of ray 
residence, I had not been here long before I 
was baptized and became a member of the 
first Baptist Church of this city^ then under 
the care of elders Lewis Richards and Ed- 
mund J. Reis, 

In the same year I was set apart by the 
same church for the ministry^, and the next 
year chosen pastor of the Second Baptist 
Church in the City of Washington^ and orit 
dained by Brethren Dodge^ Brown^ and Cone. 
In the course of a year after this I was solici- 
ted by some friends to return and settle again 
in Baltimore. I did so; when another church 
was formed called the Third Baptist Church; 
which church called me for her pastor. By 
this time I had written a work of about four 
hundred pages, 12mo. which I published in 
Baltimore. Soon after this I preached a ser- 
mon to my people which is now in print, con- 
taining sixty-nine pages, 12mo. 

These writings had not been long in print 
before a few of them found their way into 
South Carolina, where by many they were 
read with pleasure, which induced them to 
write for more, and also for me to visit them if 
I could. Being repeatedly written to, to come 
out and bring a number of my books with me. 



\ 



81 

1^ last fall gave up my charge of the church in 
Baltimore and set out for South Carolina. 

At this time I had another work almost ready 
for the press^ and I should have printed it in 
Baltimore if I had continued there; but as I 
was going to the south, I concluded to take 
my manuscript with me, and get the work 
printed in that state if I could. 

I left home on the third day of the eleventh 
month, 182!, and travelled safely along until I 
arrived within about seven miles of the town 
of Salisbury, North Carolina, when my horse 
ran away with me, and I, to escape the danger 
which threatened me, leaped from my car- 
riage, and, in the act of so doing my horse kick- 
d and broke my left leg, and made an in- 
ision in the flesh suflicient for the doctor to 
troduce his fingers to ascertain the mangled 
te of the bones, which were both broken. 
Thus, dear sir, was I, on the tenth day of 
twelfth month in last year, left on the cold 
w^. ground a victim to pain and sorrow. I lay 
^ in agony and blood, about an hour and a 
when I was taken up and conveyed to the 
neai'l^st house, (or rather a hoveU) where I 
was |onfined to my bed six weeks, and where 
I sunl'red not a little* 

Anil here, sir, pause for a moment and paint 
to yoi|:3elf and imagine if you can what my suf- 
7* 



84 

Columbia, S. C. in about two months from this 
date I shall feel thankful. 

If my call on you for the above favour should 
be thought too impertinent, and too much for 
you to undertake, I shall not think strange of 
it; as I am not insensible of my having no claim 
on you, or any other person in your city. At 
the same time, if any thing can be done for me 
as above, it will be very grateful to my feel- 
ings. 

I brought with me into this state, about four 
hundred copies of my printed sermons, which, 
if I knew that some of them would sell with 
you, I would gladly send them; as it is in this 
way that I expect to raise money to pay, on 
my way back, the debts I contracted in my late 
affliction. What my second doctor's bill will 
be, I know not; but if I may judge of its enor- 
mity, by the charge made by the man at whose 
house I lay, I have cause to be alarmed. Bt.d 
as my accommodations were, and God knows 
they were bad enough, a dollar per day was 
demanded of me, and in this case, I found the 
words of Solomon to be true; "•! poor man that 
oppresseth the pour, is like a sweeping rain 
which leaves no fooAP Prov. xxviii. 3. 

After this sweeping rain was over, and I be- 
came able to travel, I set out for this place, and 
on my arrival in Salisbury, N. C. I was invited 



85 

by the Presbyterians to stop a while and preach 
for them. I accordingly stopped and preached 
several times, and was treated in a very hand- 
some and christian-like manner^ both by Dr. 
Freeman, the pastor, and his people. They 
saw I was afflicted, and they relieved me; and 
that I was a stranger, and they took me in. 

And now, before I bring this rhapsody to a 
close, permit me to make a few remarks on di- 
vine providence. Although the footsteps of 
providence are too mysterious for finite ttiortals 
to comprehend, and to us often appear to clash 
and to be disunited, yet I am bound to believe^ 
they are altogether harmonious, and make a 
very uniform chain, a link of which cannot be 
broken without proving detrimental to the 
whole scheme. And although some of the con- 
stituent parts which compose this chain, may, 
to a near sighted mortal, appear to make much 
against his own interest, and the cause of God 
at large, yet, in my humble opinion, as the 
cant is, they are all working together, not con- 
fusedly, for good, and shall all be made subser- 
vient to God^s grand design. 

As for my own life, thus far, it has been very 
eventful and checquered, and not a few painful 
things have fallen to my lot; and yet I think I 
can say, ^^The Lord hath done all things well;'' 
nay more, I feel perfectly satisfied with the 



86 



dispensations of divine providence towards me 
and others, as I can see the* hand of God^ the 
goodness of God^ and the wisdom of God in 
them. And although, of late, I have been 
made to drink somewhat deep of the cup of af- 
fliction, yet I have evidently found a mixture 
of mercy in the same. And I have often 
thought, and do still think, what an excellent 
shade affliction is, to set off to the best advan- 
tage the tender mercies of God! 

Receiving mercy from a covenant God^, 
through the medium of affliction is like good 
old Jacob blessing his two grandsons cross- 
handed. But it is to my shame, that I too of- 
ten, in heart, say to God, when he seems to 
thwart me, what Joseph in a pet said to his 
venerable father, ^^Not so, my father.^^ But 
my negatives can never alter the fixed decrees 
of heaven, nor is it fit they should. As it is 
God's prerogative to dispose of me and mine as 
he sees proper, so it is my duty to submit to 
his good will and pleasure in all things. And 
it would be well for me, if I always reduced to 
practice what in my judgment I know to be 
right, as I should then ward off many sorrow- 
ful hours, and hard thoughts of God, 

If I, through the course of my pilgrimage, 
had been as teachable as I ought to have been, 
I should, at this day, have had my head-quar- 



m 



87 

ters in Philippians, iv. 11, instead of having my 
tent fixed as far back as Numbers^ xiv. 2. 

O what pains (if I may so speak,) does the 
Lord take to bring us refractory creatures 
where we ought to be; and how much we re- 
semble the bullock unaccustomed to the yoke! 
Whereas^ afflictions and cross providences, if 
they tend to humble us, to wean us from the 
world and from the love of sin, and to make us 
more earnest with God, and more honest with 
our own hearts, ought to be viewed by us as 
blessings, though they may appear, at first 
sight, in such dark disguise. 

It must be marvellous love indeed, on God^s 
part, that his blessed Majesty should be indu- 
ced to take any kind of notice of one so natu- 
rally vile, so base, and so very wayward in his 
track as I am. It evidently appears to me that 
my very nature is such, that nothing but the 
rod can keep me any where within bounds; the 
rod, therefore, I may expect. ^^I will cause 
them to pass under the rod,^' says the God of 
Israel. And what then, Lord? ^^And I will 
bring them into the bond of the covenant.^' 
Why then should men murmur at that^ (admit- 
ting it be a rod^) which brings them, manifest- 
ly, into covenant relation with Him whose love 
is unalienable, his gifts gratuitous, his promise 
irrevocable, and his throne as the days of 



88 



heaven? Besides, this covenant is ordered in 
all thing$i and sure; and it ought to be all our 
salvation^ seeing our salvation is wholly wrap- 
ped up in it, and by it eternally secured. And 
this ought to be all our desire; that is, all our 
desires should centre here, and be the very 
summit of them. We should greatly desire to 
be better acquainted with this glorious coven* 
ant, and with the blessed covenanter and the 
covenantee. 

All. the glory of the everlasting gospel is 
WTapped up in this unalterable covenant, which 
was agreed on in the ancient settlements of 
eternity, and ratified and fully confirmed on 
earth by our Almighty Prophet, Priest^ King, 
Redeemer, and God. 

Dear sir, when I commenced writing this 
letter, I never once dreamt of troubling you 
with so much as I find I have written; but, I 
hope, you will take it all in good part and place 
what is amiss to my account, and believe me to 
be with 

All due deference. 

Yours respectfully, 

J. O. 

York district, S. C.March 10, 1822. 



89 



LETTER VIIL 

Dear Sir^ 

GracGj mercy ^ and peace he with thee. 

I, through the good hand of God upon mt, 
arrived safe in this town on the third inst. I 
intend visiting your neighbourhood as soon as 
I can^ but am not at present prepared to say 
when it will be. I have totally forgot what 
large meeting you spoke to me about and wish- 
ed me to attend^ so that you need not to won- 
der should I not be at it;> but you may expect 
iTie some time, and if we are permitted to meet 
together again^ I hope it will be for our good 
and God's glory. 

I am still walking on crutches^ and continue 
very lame. I have also had an attack of the 
bilious fever, and this followed with the ague^ 
since I have been here, so that I am reduced 
very low in body. I know, however, that I 
richly deserve all that God inflicts on me; nor 
can I think it is in vain that I am dealt with 
after this sort, I therefore cannot complain. I 
have also just received a letter from my family 
in Baltimore with the heart-rending news of the 
death of one of my little daughters, which dear 
<)bject is now twining about my heart like the 
8 



90 

ivy round the oak tree. Its little form is con- 
stantly passing in swift review before mine 
eyes. O! how strangely do I find myself tied to 
the little creature. But it is now no more mine. 
^<^The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away, 
"blessed be the name of the Lord.^^ All is right 
my brother; and what we know not now> we 
shall know hereafter. 

With regard to the present state of iny mind, 
it is winter wdth me; and when it will be 
otherw^ise is not for me to say. I have been re- 
moved lately, by Him who does all things well, 
from the King's Royal Palace^ to the sign of 
the Weeping Willowy and how long I am to 
be quartered here, God only knows. The 
anxiety of rny mind to get back again to the 
Mtfyal Palace^ once more, to enjoy the king's 
smiling face and to see his person, is very 
great indeed. 

O! my brother! what is this w^orld with all 
its dying interest? Or what in fact is religion 
without something of the enjoyment of God, 
^Hvhose name is as an ointment poured forth?'^ 

As winter very suitably represents the state 
of the soul when God absconds himself, so the 
present season fitly holds forth the delightful 
condition the soul is in when under the sun- 
shine of gospel grace. We n vv with pleasure 
Ibehold the fields and woods in their verdant 



w 



w 



91 

attire; and vegetable plants are putting forth 
themselves to us in all the glory of spring. 
And what is all this owing to^ but the genial 
rays of the great luminary of heaven which 
God hath there placed for the benefit of maa 
and beast? And so the heaven born soul, after 
it has languished and pined in the season of 
winter^ and long mourned the absence of its 
God, is at last brought forth by the reviving 
beams of the Sun of Righteousness; at which 
time all the graces of the Holy Ghost, in that 
soul, are brought forth into lively exercise, and 
the man marches boldly on through the streets 
of Zion, singing the sweet sonnets of love, thus; 
^^Lo the winter is past, the rain is over and 
gone; the flowers appear on the earth; the 
time of the singing of birds is come.'^ 

What a surprising revolution is effected in 
the mind of a christian, by the entrance of the 
Holy Spirit with all his benign influences! 0! 
that God the Holy Ghost would return to my 
soul and dwell there with all his saving bene- 
fits, so that I might ^'^sing as in the days of my 
youth, and as in the day when I came up out 
of the land of Egypt.'^ 

It is this blessed spirit that gives spring and 

action to the soul, and draws forth all the affec- 

'*tions to God. It is this spirit that gives the 

soul right appreliensions of God, and of the 



»2 

truth of his holy word. And the same Holy 
Spirit^ takes of the things of Christ and reveals 
them unto us^ and sets us down in the truth of 
the everlasting gospel. Yea^ it is by this bless- 
ed spirit that we draw nigh to God; hold com- 
munion with God; walk with God; rejoice in 
God^ and please God. Indeed^ if this spirit 
be wanting in us^ there is nothing right as yet, 
let our attainments be as great and as promi- 
sing as they may. 

This spirit has tlie sole management of the 
^^gocd work*^ on the mind of a sinner saved by 
grace^ from the commencement of it, to the con- 
summation of the same in glory. He quickens 
and makes alive; he enlightens and instructs; 
he bears testimony with our spirits and seals 
us up to the day of redemption of the body. 
He also is the searcher of hearts; the revealer 
of secrets; tlie earnest of the future inheri- 
tance; the confirmcr of the promises; the com- 
forter sent from God; the testifier of Christ; 
our sure guide to lieaven, and the pledge of 
joy to come. 

We know nothing of ourselves, of God, or of 
truth, as we ought, but by this blessed spirit; 
it therefore is with propriety said, ^^He that 
hath not the spirit of Christ is none of his.'^ 

This my brother is the grand culminating 
point which crowns all;, and to which point we 



m 

must all come if we are saved. All religion 
short of this is spurious, enapty^ and vain, and 
will avail us nothing in the great and terrible 
day of the Lord. Almighty God! grant that 
we may be hither brought, and be led by the 
good spirit of God into the great arcana of the 
gospel; — and of God, and of Christ, and of the 
adorable spirit^ make our boast all the day 
long. Adieu, 



J. OSBOURN, 



Columbia, S. C, ApriU 1822. 



LETTER IX, 

Honoured Sir, 

Your letter, dated May 11th, in answer tQ> 
xnine from Columbia, last April, came safe to 
hand, and I read it with pleasure, and thank 
you for the same. I am the more pleased with 
your letter, as it breathes so much of the 
christian spirit, of humility and godly simpli- 
city, which spirit is not often seen in men who 
fill such an exalted station in a commonwealth 
as you have been honoured with. Although I 
might here indulge myself in strains of flattery^ 
yet; as I am aware it would sour on a mind like 



94 

yours, I must deny myself tlie gratificatiou; 
and proceed. 

I have just been reading and thinking about 
Joseph and his highly favored land; and as I 
have now a little time to spare, I will commu- 
nicate my thoughts to you, which I hope you 
will not take amiss. 

Moses, the man of God, in blessing the twelve 
tribes of Israel, says of Joseph, ^-Blessed of the 
Lord be his land, for the precious things of 
heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that 
coucheth beneath, and for the precious fruits 
brought forth by the sun, and for the precious 
things put forth by the moon, and for the chief 
things of the ancient mouRt^ins, and for the 
precious things of the lasting hills, and for the 
precious tilings of the earth, and fullness there- 
of, and for the good will of him that dwelt in 
the bush: let the blessing come upon the head 
of Joseph, and upon t!ie top of the head of him 
that was separated from his brethren.'^ 

From reading this account of Joseph in the 
letter J my mind was drawn out to Joseph in 
the mystery. I thought if so much could be 
said of the son of Jacob and his land, much 
more might be said of the Son of God, and 
of his happy land, gospel Zion. 

Our anti-typical Joseph is the glory of the 
land of gospel rest; and^ on his account^ it is 



95 

greatly blessed. His person is graceful; his 
name is said to be a string tower; the offices 
he sustains are of the highest importance to us^ 
and the relation he stands in to the inhabitants 
of signal consequence. In him ail perfections 
dwells both human and divine. Through him, 
all the power, the wisdoni. the righteousness^ 
the glory^ the mercy, the grace^ the truth, the 
love^ and the goodness of the eternal God break 
forth;, and shine with unequivocal lustre, round 
the whole hemisphere of Zion. In him all the 
adorable attributes of Deity harmonize, em- 
brace each other, and well agree in the salva- 
tion of perishing men. He was the messenger of 
the everlasting covenant, sent by his Father, 
with an unparalleled embassy to the sons of 
Adam; and he entered into our land with all 
magnanimity of mind, and negociated business 
the most momentous; and after having swallow- 
ed up death in victory — spoiled principalities 
and powers — spread universal dismay through 
the whole empire of darkness — discomfited the 
allied armies of hell — laid a firm foundation for 
the building ()f mercy — established himself sole 
Monarch in Zion — brought life and immortali- 
ty to light, and formed a treaty, on the best 
possible footing, between the offended and the 
oifenders, he returned triumphant home, where 
h^ ever hveth to make intercession for m^j 



96 

Thus much for our spiritual Joseph — and now 
for a few things respecting his land. 

This goodly land is blessed with mnuniera- 
ble endowments above other lands^ and all for 
Joseph^s sake. When he left this land^ where 
he as a man of sorrow^ sojourned thirty-three 
years^ he left many blessings behind him, say- 
ing, in substance, thus much, "The land shall 
not be sold for ever, for the land is mine, and 
a blessing is in it, therefore destroy it not. My 
peace I also give unto the inhabitants thereof^ 
and not as the world giveth give I unto them^ 
for it is an everlasting peace, which shall not 
be cut off.^' Lev. xxv. 23. Isa. Ixv. 8. John^ 
xiv. 27. And these blessings thus conferred 
on this land, for the sake of Joseph, are said to 
be Precious things^ chief things^ and pre- 
cious fruits. 

1. For the precious things of heaven. — May 
we not venture to call the surprising revelation 
which God hath made of himself to us, through 
the gospel of his Son, one of the precious 
things of heaven? Surely we may; and the 
more so, as this revelation embraces a great 
variety oi precious things. 

The oracles handed down to us by heaven- 
inspired men, inform us what we were as con- 
sidered in Adam before he fell; what we are 
since the fallj and also; that we are not able of 



97 

ourselves to retrieve the great loss we sustain- 
ed in the bankruptcy and awful rebellion of 
our first parents. On the other hand, they 
clearly inform us where help is to be found, of 
God's making the arm of his Son strong for 
himself; and of his bein,;^ holy^ righteous, and 
just, and yet the justifier of him that believes. 
In these oracles, the doctrine of justification 
shines forth with a lustre peculiar to itself, and 
is fraught with marrow and fatness, well adapt* 
ed to mortals impoverished and in themselves 
undone. 

Here also we see the breaking forth of im- 
mortal love, which like an overflowing sea^ 
emits its life giving streams through a thirsty 
land, which streams make the wilderness to 
blossom as the rose, and the solitary places to 
sing for gladness. In these oracles we likewise 
have set forth a full and complete atonement, 
and its power, virtue, and efficacy, expressed- 
in w^ords the most strong and indubitable. 
Here also the perseverance of the saints 
is attested and established on a base whichc 
nothing can remove, and, at the same time, it 
affords divine consolation to the weak and to 
the strong, and to all who are seeking life and 
peac ^ through our great and glorious Re- 
deemer. 



98 1 

These oracles informed the church in old 
timesj that at some future period, /rw/Zi sh uld 
spring out of the earth; and righteousness 
look doianfrom heaven. Psa. Ixxxv. II. And 
this prediction we know was accomplished 
when our glorious Leader, who is the Truth, 
burst the silent tomb the third day according 
to the Scriptures; at which time righteousness 
looked down from heaven with approbation 
upon him, and mercy and truth, righteousness 
and peace, as it were, nestled together; and 
with shouts of loud applause, declare the con- 
queror risen from the dead^ and become the 
first fruits of them that slept. And we, my 
brother, who believe that Christ thus arose, 
believe also, that those who sleep in him, God ' 
will bring to glory* 

Another glorious doctrine is by these ora- 
cles brought to light, namely, the union of the 
head and body, Christ and his church. This 
precious doctrine is the life and soul of all the 
rest. If this be destroyed, what can the righ- 
teous do? But it cannot be destroyed, for 
Christ the head is risen indeed; and those w ho 1 
sleep in him, as all will who are united to him, j 
will God bring to glory, so that the head and 
members may be glorified together. 

'J'hese glorious mysteries being handed dow^n 
tp us by men endowed vvitii wisdom from above. .; 



99 
we raay boldly say that the land of our spiri- 
tual Joseph is greatly blessed; and we onght to 
be lHin>ble and thankful /or ?Ae preciom things 
of heaven. 

2. For the dew.~GoA by the mouth of 
Moses, says, <'My speech shall tfistil as the 
dew." And has not the still small voice of the 
Lord in the gospel, and his gentle whispers of 
peace and love by his Holy Spirit to our souls, 
bten as refreshing and as heart-reviving as 
ever the dew was to the grass and herbs? And 
often the precious gospel has been to us like 
a cloud of dew in the heat of karvpst, by 
which we have sprung up as amo.ig grass, 
and a.s- willows, by the water- courses. 

O! how copiously has this heavenly dew, at 
certain times, descended upon the mountains 
of gospel Zion. This dew, owing to the re- 
freshing property of it, is said to be as the dew 
of herbs. It comes and goes at the pleasure 
of God, and produces the effects he intends by 
It. Those on whom it descends, are awakened 
and made to sing, as well as to grow up among 
grass, as we read; ''Awake and sing, ye thnt 
dwell in the dust; for thy dew is as the\l.^'.v of 
herbs. "And that this dew comes directly from 
the Lord, we are bound to believe, not only 
because it produces such glorious effects i., our 
bosoms; but, becaue the Lord says so himself: 



« I will be as the dew unto Israel; and he shatt 
revive as the corn, grow as the vine, and spread 
forth his roots as Lebanon." Hosea, xiv. 5, 6. 

The unctions of the Holy Spirit, which dew 
is emblematical of, was poured in copious effu- 
sions on Christ the Church's Head; and the 
same odoriferous streams are showered on 
every member of his body, which causes them 
to look out of obscurity, to speak plainly, to 
walk with alacrity, and to subscribe with the 
hand unto the Lord and call themselves by the 
name of Israel. Indeed, if this heavenly dew 
did not descend on Zion, she would soon parch 
up and wither away; but as God has promised 
to be as the dew unto her, we may expect her 
ever to be kept alive. 

O! delicious drops of balmy dew; how they 
eheer a Minting soul; how they raise a drooping 
mind, how they strengthen a languid spirit; how 
they brace up the feeble loins; how they brigh- 
ten a gloomy countenance, and make the sor- 
rowful heart rejoice. 

This dew is the best antidote in the world 
against sloth, coldness, carnal security, and 
dry formality. It also is good in case of an 
abscess in the breast. And this I know to be 
a irue bill, for I am very much subject to this 
complaint: but so sure as ever I drink profuse- 
ly 01 this dew, the swelling goes down and my 



1 



101 

Boul is humble within rae. I have known 
some men partake so freely of it, as to forget 
their former poverty. And I have knowa 
others again, feel the want of a little of it so 
sensibly, that they have been really sick and 
ready to die; and yet they could not die for 
the life of them. But of such, I have noticed, 
God takes special care; and often says to his 
standard-bearers, ^^strengthen the things which 
remain, that are ready to die^ If these things 
are so, may we not, yea, ought we not to count 
this dew one of the blessings belonging to the 
land of Joseph? 

3. nlndfor the deep that coucheth beneath. — 
Here we are led to the contemplation of the 
profound depth of divine wisdom and the amaz* 
ing heighth of eternal love, couched in many of 
the sayings of the inspired writers; and to ac- 
knowledge that the deep things of God cannot 
be explored by finite creatures, but that the most 
we can say, is with the apostle Paul, ^^0! the 
depth both of the wisdom and knowledge of 
God; how unsearchable are his judgments and 
his ways past finding out.^' The wisdom of 
God is signally displayed, though only seen in 
part by us, in the contrivance of a plan where- 
by he can save sinners while his justice re- 
mains immaculate. His love also breaks 
forth and discovers its flame to a degree far 

9 



103 

beyond human comprehension, in reconciling 
rebel man to himself through the peace-speak- 
ing blood of his son. And his almighty power 
is likewise in a most striking manner exerted 
in preserving to the end^ all those whom he 
loved from the heginnivg. Yes, my brother, 
the decrees, counsels, purposes, and designs of 
God; as well as his wisdom, power, love and 
mercy, are profound depths; and deeply couch- 
ed in all his works and ways. But though 
they form an unfathomable deep, we may, 
without any hazard, place them among the 
blessings of the land of our antitypical Joseph, 
-and bless his holy name for the deep that 
coucheth beneath. 

4. .dnd for the precious fruits brought 
forth by the sun. — From these words the man 
of God is led as it were intuitively to gaze on 
the plant of renown^ or Christ the fruitful 
apple tree which is in the midst of the garden 
of God, and to exclaim, O! the precious fruits 
that are brought forth by the Son of Righ- 
teousness', fruits, which if a man eateth thereof 
he shall live for ever. Here are fruits which 
feast the soul, and make the lame man leap as 
an hart, and the tongue of the dumb to sing. 
On this tree is to be founds and from this 
Son of Righteousness may be obtained, good 
fruit of all sorts. Indeed every thing that the 



103 

ohristian wants to use^ to wear, to eat, or to 
drink, is brought forth by this sun^ this ap- 
ple tree; and all comes free of expense, and is 
very precious. This being the case, we ought 
to try to get under its shadow, and to be so far 
delighted with the precious fruits brought 
forth by the sun as to say to others, ^^These 
are the blessings of the land of Joseph/' 

O what love and mercy and grace; — what 
tenderness, pity, and compassion, is brought 
forth by this sun in all his words and actions 
and carriage towards the inhabitants of this 
land. Thousands of poor broken merchants 
in this land have been made as rich as Jews, 
by the great abundance of precious fruit 
brought forth by this sun. 

You know my brother, that he hath said 
over and over again how mucli he lovetli us, 
what care he will take of us, that he will 
watch over us by day and by night, and be 
with us unto the end. He hath also told us 
what great preparations he is making for us 
now in heaven, so that we may be accommo- 
dated in the best manner possible when we ar- 
rive there. He hath likewise said as much, 
as that our welfare is his interest, and tliat he 
hath engaged himself to feed us, to defend us, 
and at last to take us to heaven. 

You also know that he by tasting the bitter- 



104 

riess of deaths even the death of the eross^ 
hath opened the kingdom of heaven to all be- 
lie vers; and that he hath brought life and im- 
mortality to light by the gospel^ and that this 
gospel is to be preached unto all nations for 
the obedience of faith. 

Moreover, you know that this glorious sun, 
has not only set up a kingdom in the world 
which shall never be destroyed; but that he 
hath shed beams of heavenly light on our be- 
nighted minds, and made us children of the day: 
ive are not of the nighty nor of darkness* 
Now then my dearly beloved and longed foTy 
let us be joyful together i^^v \\i^ precious things 
brought foi'th by the sun. 

5, And for the precious things put forth by 
the moon. — The sun and moon are here both 
mentioned in proper order. We all know the 
sun has got the pre-eminence over the moon. 
The sun is larger than the moon, brighter than 
the moon, higher than the moon, and of greater 
heat than the moon; and the moon receives all 
her light from the sun, which is the grand fount 
©r source of all. Now, the sun is said to bring 
forth; and the moon, the lesser light, to put 
forth. 

From the above, we are shewn how great the 
pre-eminence of our antitypical Joseph, the glo- 
rious Son of Righteousness, is over the moon* 



105 

the cliurch. He was before all things, he is 
over all things, and by him all things consists 
In him the church lives, moves, and has her 
being. All her light, heat, beauty, glory, and 
graces, flow from him the fountain and source 
of all good. 

As this snn freely brings forth these pre- 
cious fruits, which we have just glanced at, so 
the moon freely receives them, and binds them 
about her for ornaments; and being thus orna- 
mented, beautified^ and adorned^ she is styled 
the perfection of beauty and the joy of the 
whole earth. And, as she so very liberally re- 
eeives all from the sun, she deviseth liberal 
things, and by liberal things she stands, Or^ 
thus; she freely, and without making any re- 
serve^ puts forth precious things to the sons 
and daughters of men. And this is done in 
the preaching of the gospel, when Christ is 
exhibited, and the fulness and freeness^ of the 
grace, mercy, and love of God to perishing sin- 
ners are opened up. And here, let me ask you 
my brother; are there not many very precious- 
things put forth by this moon at times? Have 
they not often caused the souls of the sorrow- 
ful ones to be glad and to rejoice with joy un--^ 
speakal)le and full of glory? 

With regard to the glory of this ntbon, I 
would just remark; Paul tells u& that the natu*- 
9* 



106 

ral moon is not without glory. ^^There is/^ says 
he^ ^^one glory of the sun^ and another glory 
of the moon.'^ And so Zion is not without 
glory. The clothing of this moon^ is said to 
be of wrought gold; her food^ marrow and fat- 
ness; her place of defence, the munitions of 
pocks; her ornaments, the hidden man of the 
lieart, and a meek and quiet spirit; and the 
end of her race, the salvation of the soul. If 
all this be true, may we not bless the sun, for 
the precious things put forth by the moon? 

6. .ind for the chief things of the ancient 
mountains. — By the mountains here, we have 
"brought to view the great transactions of eter- 
nity — the Father, the Son, and the Spirit, con- 
sulting about the salvation of his chosen ones. 
The things then and there done, the arrange- 
ments made, the plan laid down, the steps that 
should be pursued, the events that should take 
place in time, and the end they should all tend 
to, may well be compared to mountains for sta- 
bility and duration. In vain do men fight 
against the ancient settlements of the trinity, 
as nothing that was there done will ever be 
counteracted, altered, diminished, or improv- 
ed. As infinite wisdom adjusted all things for 
a certain end, so infinite wisdom will see that 
that very end be accomplished by those very 
things pitched on for that purpose. And; as 



107 

these things were contrived before time began, 
and so fixed as to admit of no change, they 
are caHed ancient mountains. 

By the chipf^ things^ we may understand th^- 
two grand objects God had in view under all^ 
and which he M^ill never lose sight of, but will 
cause every event, either directly or indirectly^ 
to be subservient to his grand design. And 
these two objects were, and still are, his own 
declarative glory and the salvation of his 
church, and these are to be accomplished in 
that way which is perfectly conformable to his 
most wise and righteous decrees, counsels, and 
purposes. 

And that these are the cliief things that 
occupy the mind of the trinity, we may easily 
gather from the vast interest which each di- 
vine person in the blessed trinity, takes in se- 
curing and bringing them to pass. 

That God the Father is greatly concerned 
for his own glory, and for the salvation of the 
church, is evident from the many things he 
hath said and done. God the Son is also 
greatly concerned for his own glory and for 
the salvation of the church, as appears from 
the many things he hath said and done, and is 
still doing. God the Holy Ghost is likewise 
much concerned for his own glory and for the 
salvation of the churchy as is plain from what 



108 

he hath said, and is now saying,, and from what 
he hhth done, and is still doing. 

If the salvation of the church is one of the 
chief things that concerns the Almighty Fa- 
ther^ how happy, how blessed, and how safe 
must the church be. x\nd if her salvation is 
one of the chief things that occupies tlie mind 
of Chi'ist the Lord, now in heaven, how highly 
favored is she. and how humble and thankful 
ought she to be^ since his great concern for her 
cannot fail to end in a complete deliverance 
from sin, toil, and sorrow\ x\nd if her eternal 
felicity is one of the chief things that engages 
the attention of the Holy Spirit, and for which 
all his holy energies are employed, how can 
the prince of darkness prevail against her so 
as to deprive her of that everlasting rest, which 
to bring her unto, is one of the chief things of 
the ancient mountains, or which engages the 
mind and the thoughts of a triune God? 

Come, my brother, if you are willing, and 
join with me in placing these chief things of 
the ancient mountains with the rest of the bles- 
sings conferred on the land of our mystical Jo- 
seph: and after that, if you please,, we will take 
a view of the lasting hills. 

7\ And J or the precious things of the last- 
ing hVls. — Are we not here led to contemplate 
the glorious covenant of grace with ail ita sub^ 



109 

Kme and munificent advantages? This blessed 
covenant is very lasting as well as very full of 
mercies, which mercies are said to be sure* 
The covenant itself is said to be an everlasting 
one. With respect to the formation of it, it is 
declared to be ordered in all things and sure. 
With regard to its worth, a man after God's 
own heart, protested it was all his salvation^ 
and all his desire. 

This covenant was founded inlove^ and hath 
for its security the oath and promise of God^ 
which can never fail. It was made with Christ 
the covenant head, and in the behalf of an elect 
world; and to them it has, and still shall be 
made known. "T\\e secret of the Lord is with 
them that fear him, and he will shew them his 
covenant.^' And most precious things does 
this covenant disclose to the heirs of promise, 
as they have well witnessed in all ages of the 
world. This covenant was ratified by Christ 
who is the covenant head, and who was given 
for a covenant of the people^ for a light of the 
Gentiles. It is called a covenant of peuce^ as 
Christ by performing the conditions of it, esta- 
blished peace between his Father and those 
chosen in the covenant. And, as Christ did 
this to the perfect satisfaction of his Father, his 
Father hath not only said, my covenant shall 
stand fast with him, and that his mediatorial 



110 

throne shall be established for ever as the 
moon; but that he will, by the blood of this co- 
venant^ bring forth the prisoners out of the pit 
wherein is no water. 

And now, that this covenant, and Christ the 
head of it, are as lasting as the hills there can 
be no question, seeing they have continued 
from everlasting unto the present time: and 
that even now there is jio prospect of their 
coming to a close, is evident,- for, ^^Of the in- 
crease of his government and peace there shall 
be no end; upon the throne of David, and 
upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish 
it, w4th judgment and with justice, from hence- 
forth even for ever: the zeal of the Lord of 
hosts wull perform this/'' Isa. ix. 7. 

Here, again, I take the liberty of calling 
upon a once honourable member of congress to 
assist me, in ascribing glory to God in the 
highest, for establishing these lasting hills and 
for the precious things they contain! 

8. And for the precious things of the earth 
and fulness thereof, — Surely we may con- 
clude that the precious things here mentioned 
embrace all the blessings, comforts, privileges, 
and enjoyments of domestic, civil, and religious 
life, as these all belong to the inhabitants of 
this happy land. Thou knowest my brother, 
that God hath given us richly all things to en- 



II 



ill 

joy. And that all things are ours; whether 
Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or 
life, or death, or things present, or things to 
come; all are ours; and we are Christ's; and 
Christ is God's. And this being the case we 
must not fail to place them among the other 
blessings conferred on the land of Joseph. 

y. •Indfor the good will of him ivho dwelt 
in the bush.— This bush Moses saw on fire, and 
him in it who had a good will towards him^ 
and towards the children of Israel, and still has 
the same towards all his dear people in this 
our day. His will towards them is so good 
that he never loses sight of them; nor will ever 
leave them nor forsake them. He leads them, 
guides them, feeds them, folds them, carries 
'them, watches over them, and hath promised 
to bring them safe through all. Glory to God 
in the highest, peace on earth, and good will 
towards men, we, my brother, may sing in 
songs of sublime adoration! And so we ought 
to sing, seeing all these precious things are on 
the head of our Joseph, which must needs make 
him a fruitful bough. 

These were my thoughts, on the relation 
given by Moses of Joseph in Deuteronomy, 
chapter xxxiii, just before your letter came to 
hand. If you can pick any thing out of my 
thoughts, now communicated to you, to feed 



your soul, do so, and give God the glory of 
ail^ for to him all the glory oelongs. 
Fare thee well, 

J, OSBOURN. 

Fork District y June, 1822. 



LETTER X. 



Mj^ dear and much esteemed Brother in 
the Lord, and fellow Labourer in the Vine- 
yard of God. 

Such is ray attachment to you for the truth's 
sakcj that I sensibly feel pain at heart when- 
ever I find your mind labouring under a load; 
and hence, my feelings were highly excited the 
last time we were together, by seeing you so 
much disconcerted, and your spirits sunk so 
low, when they ought to have been on the 
stretch for God, as we were then standing on 
the walls of Zion where our voices should have 
been lifted up like a trumpet. And I felt the 
more pained when I found your overmuch sor- 
row sprang froQi things of a worldly nature, 
and which had no more relation to the salva- 
tion of the soul than the shaking of a leaf. I, 
however, am aware that the devil is no loiterer 



113 

here, but very busy in trying all he can to utt- 
hinge the mind for the service of God. But, 1 
have thought sometimes, excuse my freedom, if 
we could keep the world, with all its dying in- 
terests at a proper distance, Satan would not 
have quite so much ground for triumph, as he 
often has, nor we to yield to sorrow as we too 
frequently do. The higher the estimate is, 
which we set on the good things of this present 
evil world, the keener is the pain we feel, and 
the greater do we count the loss, when they 
are wrenched out of our hands. 

But, my brother will say, ^^An enemy hath 
done this, or is trying to do it, and that unjust- 
ly too. If it had been a visible visitation from 
God I could have borne it*' We sometimes, 
in cases like this, blame our fellow creatures 
and think this is all we do; and thus quite over- 
look what is going on in our own hearts. 
Whereas, were we to diligently examine our- 
selves, we perhaps should find, within our bo* 
soms, most shameful rebellion secretly carried 
on against the sovereign Lord of all. 

Besides, wicked men may and they often do, 
plot against the just, and take away the right 
of the Lord^s poor and needy ones. But can 
they do this without divine permission? And 
why are they ever suffered so to do? Answer* 
God often makes use of wicked men to take 
10 



114 

away from his beloved ones^ not what is strict- 
ly their own, but what he hath lent to them for 
their use for a season, and what they are abu- 
sing by setting their affections too much upon, 
to the dishonour of God. And w'hen the Lord 
sees this, and knows that these things are his 
rivals, and that they are stealing away the 
heart from him, he will see that they be re- 
moved; and though in removing them, wicked 
men may act unjustly, yet God is just in having 
them removed. 

Nor will he find himself any more at a loss 
to know how to punish the wicked for acting 
unjustly in this affair, than he will to clear him- 
self of all charge of injustice in doing what he 
does. 

I once heard of a man who killed his fellow 
creature on the high road, and took from him 
all his money, and then retired into a wood to 
count it. A man, who was in the same wood 
shooting deer, happening to see the murderer 
counting his money out on a handkerchief, 
spread on the ground for that purpose, was 
tempted to shoot him for the sake of the cash: 
and shoot him he did. 

Now we all know that the man was wrong 
in so doing, and that the highwayman deserved 
no such treatment from the hand of the sports- 
man, as he had not injured him at all. But 



i 



115 

then^ did he not richly deserve such a judg- 
ment from Godj against whom he had so foully 
sinned? Most assuredly he did. Well^ if he 
did, it certainly was at the option of the Al- 
mighty to make use of what instrument he 
pleased to inflict condign punishment. And 
though we dare not say that God inclined the 
sportsman to evil; yet, we may say, he was not 
bound to restrain him from it; and, as he did 
not do it^ the highwayman met with a just re- 
ward. 

And so when we do that which is wrong in 
the sight of God, or suffer our affections to run 
out too inordinately after the perishing things 
of this life and thereby become neglectful of 
our duty to God; it is but just and right in the 
Lord to permit the Philistines to come upon us 
open mouthed, and to devour the things to 
which our hearts are so unduly attached^ 

I do not say that this will apply to you in the 
present case; but whether it will or will not, I 
can but think my brother will see a propriety 
in this way of reasoning. 

I also, am of opinion, that you will readily 
join issue with me in the following conclusion. 

Suppose a christian to be happy in his own 
soul, and all going on well between God and 
himself; his faith in liv^ely exercise on Christ; 
his hopes firmly fixed on the Rock of Ages; 



116 

lus confidence in a faithful God unshaken; his 
love to his Lord and Master burning like a 
fire; the promises of the Most High greatly 
enjoyed by him; the life and power of religion 
all alive in his breast; an intercourse v^^ith hea- 
ven daily kept up by hirn; a spiritual traffic 
uninterruptedly carried on with the King of 
kings; and he constantly singing the sweet son- 
nets of love; supposing, I say^ a christian to be 
thus happy and thus blessed^ (and I know^ by 
happy experience tiiat this may be the case 
with a person^) I cannot be persuaded that an 
adverse providence by which he might sustain 
a considerable temporal loss would corrode his 
mind^ deject his spirit, sink him so low^ or 
bring on such a gloom, as to unhinge his mind 
for private and public devotion. 

If this proposition be a correct one, and the 
conclusion drawn, just and fair, how necessary 
it is that my brother and I should endeavour 
for so desirable a state, so that when troubles 
come upon us, we may be so well prepared for 
them as to rise superior to these little things 
under which we are too apt to fall, to the great 
annoyance of our own souls, to the dishonour 
of God, and to the boast of Satan. 

Let us try, my brother, to keep the captain 
of our salvi tion in view; seek after him; call 
upon him; wait in the highway for his coming; 



117 

and when he appears, say with one of old, 
^^This is him of whom Moses in the law and 
the prophets did write.'^ 

A sight of this dear friend, the enjoyment of 
the truth; the approbation of God; the testimo- 
ny of a good eoneience; communion with the 
Lord of life and glory; heavenly mindedness, 
with sweet answers to prayer; will carry us far 
above the fear of men, make us bold for God, 
and courageous for the truth, both in the pul- 
pit and out of it. Whereas, the want of these 
things, and the want of them is to be seen in 
most preachers, is the grand cause of so much 
warping from truth, so many flimsy harangues 
in public, and complimentary addresses from 
the pulpits. Nor can we wonder at these 
things, for, where the root of the matter is not 
to be found, men will resort to other things in 
order to make up the defect, especially, as 
they want to be thought great in the eyes of 
carnal professors. 

O! my brother, can you not see how things 
are going on amongst us? And can you not 
define the cause? I am free to confess, that 
to me these things are as clear as the sun at 
noon day, as also what they will end in. 

The great majority of preachers at this 
time are as destitute of these more excellent 
things that 1 have just glanced at; as this let- 
10^ 



118 

ter is of erudition* And yet^ as they cry up 
the religion of the day, are dexterous in 
making proselytes, and fired with considerable 
zeal which grows out of the sparks of their 
own kindling; they pass very well for servants 
of the Most High God. But things will not al- 
ways go on thus we may be assured, since a day 
is coming when the secrets of all hearts will be 
laid open, and then it will be seen who were 
on the Lord's side, and who not. 

I am persuaded, also^ that in this world, God 
will take his fan in his hand and thorough- 
ly purge his floor; but he will take his tithe as 
he did of old, for it is holy unto the Lord; and 
if he demands more I shall wonder, yet I shall 
not be displeased, as I know he has a right to 
his own, and more than that, I am sure he 
will not take. 

If many men who are now looked up to as 
great lights in the church, will not have to say, 
in the day when the floor is purged, ^^Our 
lamps are gone out,^' I shall very much miss 
my mark. I know, however, that men may 
possess great external beauty, and many good 
natural qualifications, and yet the heart remain 
unilluminated by the Holy Ghost. I know, 
moreover, that no outward adorning can ever 
hide from the view of a real discerning chris-^ 
tian, the dreadful defects and awful deformity 



H9 



of the Fieart untouched by the spirit of the liv- 
ing God. 

Whatever attainments men may arrive unto, 
and whatever light in the head they may possess' 
however fluently they may speak, and however 
popular they may be as preachers, and esteem- 
ed and followed by a carnal multitude, while 
destitute of the grace of God, they are but car- 
nal men and mere letter preachers: and not a 
few of this sort are infesting our churches at 
this lime. And is it not a most lamentable 
thing, that free and independent churches, who 
profess to hold with the pure apostolic doc- 
trine, should suffer themselves to be brought 
into bondage, and so cruelly imposed on, as 
they are by mere letter preachers, sooner than 
they will closely examine the foundation on 
which these judaizing teachers stand? And is 
it not out of all character, that people who be- 
lieve that Christ died for an elect world, and 
for them alone, should be so far duped, as of 
their own voluntary choice, to pitch on a man for 
their pastor, who believes and maintains that 
Christ as m-ich died for the non elect as for the 
elect— for Judas as well as for Paul? And this 
is what all those teachers and preachers hold 
to, who believe in the universality of the atone- 
ment. And they say, they are bound so to he- 



12» 

Heve, as In no otlier way can they preach to 
sinners, or do justice to the gospel. 

Thus, so very tender are these men of the 
honor of God, that they think it cannot be se- 
cured, no, not by the Lord himself, without 
their believing a falsehood, and imposing the 
the same on churches whose confession of faith, 
as well aa their Bible, teach them quite a con- 
trary doctrine. 

When will the time come that the churches 
of Christ shall possess light enough to chuse 
the good and refuse the bad? and when erro- 
neous men shall either be brought to know the 
truth and contend for it, or be driven from the 
little light they have got, into darkness and 
chaced out of the world? 

If the truth be told, and we are not ashamed 
to tell it, we have but few men at present of 
real sterling worth; men, I mean, who know 
the truth, love the truth, and who will boldly 
stand up and defend it, and, at the same time, 
oppose error wherever they see it. But, on 
the other hand, we have enough who will get 
into the pulpit and there traduce those for 
bigots and knaves who know the worth of 
truth, the danger of error, and are valiant for 
God and the true interest of Zion in the world. 

But, for my own part, I would much rather 
suffer the revilings of carnal preachers all m^ 



121 

days for the sake of truth,, than be given up of 
God to such blindness of mind, hardness of 
heart, and such dreadful contempt and perver- 
sion of scripture, and of the v^hole gospel sys- 
tem, as those must be who affirm, that as 
Christ magnified the law and satisfied divine 
justice for the elect, it also must have been 
done for the non-elect; and as it was done for 
the one as well as for the other, a way is now 
opened for all men indiscriminately to be saved, 
if they will but come. 

But who are those that do not come, and 
who might be saved if they would but come? 
Why if they do not come, and so are not saved 
because they keep away, they must be those 
whom God never loved with an everlasting love; 
whom he never gave in covenant to Christ !iis 
son; who never were united to the second 
Adam, the Lord from heaven, who never were 
numbered with the seed of Christ, for if they 
had, I should think they would make out to 
get to heaven almost as easy as the elect them- 
selves; although Christ''s dying for them was 
not quite sufficient. 

But let us proceed a little further. As 
Christ by his sufierings and death satisfied the 
divine law for his elect and took away its curse, 
they, of course, cannot be exposed to the pen- 
alty of that law which thev violated and laid 



132 

themselves obnoxious to. If they are, the first 
payment, by Christ their bail^ could have 
availed nothing. But it has availed something, 
yes, every thing that was intended it should 
avail; and hence, it follows that no one can lay 
any law charges against the elect. It is God 
that justifies. And now, I ask, does it follow, 
that because Christ hath done this as Sisuhsti- 
iute for the elect, and they through his doing 
it for them are in a justified state; I say, does 
if follow, in course, that Christ must have done 
at the same time just as much for the non-elect? 
If it does so follow, that is, if Christ by satis- 
fying the law for some satisfied it for all; I will 
insist upon it that the consequence must be the 
same, i e. the non-elect as well as the elect must 
be in a justified state, and that no law charges 
can be brought against the one or the other, as 
there are no charges in the law, Christ having 
magnified it. For we all know that the divine 
law of God, when its demands are fully answer- 
ed, when it is completely magnified, and its 
course quite taken away, can have no fiery con- 
tents to discharge either against the bail or the 
principal debtors, unless we admit it can aad 
will demand double payment of one debt. 

Again — as we cannot be ignorant of this one 
thing, to wit, that sarisfying the law for a peo- 
ple is delivering that people from that law;^ so 




123 

also, we know that if the non- elect die under 
the law thus satisfied by Christ, they cannot 
be said to have been delivered from it, which 
they would have been if it followed that as the 
law was satisfied for the elect it was also tor 
all and every man. But danger of the most 
alarming nature threatens us at every step we 
take on this preposterous ground, let Mr. An- 
drew Fuller, and those who are dancing after 
his pipe^ say what they may. That Christ sa- 
tisfied the divine law we know, and this he did 
in the capacity of a substitute for all those for 
whom he from all eternity substituted himself; 
while at the same time, it stands in full force 
against the non elect the same as though it had 
never been satisfied for any. 

And so^ indeed, we may word ourselves on 
this subject with reference to those for whom 
Christ never substituted himself; that is, we 
may say the law is not magnified, the justice of 
God is not satisfied, the w rath of heaven is not 
appeased, Christ has not suffered, he has not 
offered himself a sacrifice; and, as these things 
have not been done for the seed of the serpent* 
the non-elect, they cannot be saved. And this 
is placing things where they ought to be plac *V^ 
and where in fact they are placed alidad v to 
our hand, and we cannot alter them, destroy 
them, nor make any improvement on them. 



124 

If these things were not just so, they would 
be just the reverse: and theu it would follo\\> 
of pure necessity, that the seed of the serpent 
must be in the same state and condition as the 
seed of Christ, as there are no law charges 
against any, Christ having taken them on him- 
self and cleared them all off by magnifying the 
law, satisfying the justice of God, and appea- 
sing the wrath of heaven. And all that may 
be alledged in support of the serpent's seed not 
standing on equal ground with Christ's seed, 
must be frivolous and idle, while it is main- 
tained that Christ's satisfying the demands of 
law and justice for the elect, must leave room 
for the non-elect to be saved if tliey will, see- 
ing the salvation of neither of the seeds de- 
pends on their will, but on the purpose and 
counsel of God. ^•It is not of him that willeth, 
nor of him that runneth, but of God that shew- 
eth mercy.'^ 

I am persuaded there are many christians 
that have not the least idea of Fuller's system, 
as it is called, being half so corrupt as it really 
is. VVhereas, it is in brief, a complete sub- 
version of the whole gospel plan, and, of course, 
is not one whit better than the gross Arminian 
scheme. 

If by Christ's sritisfyino: the law for the 
elect, who were in union with him from ever- 



125 

lasting, it must needs follow it was satisfied for 
all and every man, it also must follow, as a 
thing in course, that should the Almighty pun- 
ish the non- elect with everlasting destruction, 
it must be contrary to his holy law, as it hath 
now no penalty annexed to it to inflict, it being 
wholly taken away by Him who satisfied its 
large demands and who left it without any au- 
thority to curse. — 

But our abettors say, the thing is not so to 
be considered, or so to be taken in reference to 
the non-elect, though the thing in itself be 
true. But surely if the thing itself be sub- 
stantially true, God must have intended men 
so to understand it and so to explain it, unless 
we grant he designed to do a thing right, and 
right he has done it, but he intended that we 
should understand it wrong, and wrong we are 
to understand it. 

This outrageous error, like an impetuouB 
storm, is sweeping almost every thing before 
it and spreading its baneful influence in every 
direction, and yet but few seem to arise to the 
help of the Lord against the mighty. In les- 
ser matters men do not appear so supine and 
inactive; for if a pestilence breaks out in a city, 
the minds of men immediately become excited, 
and proper steps arc taken to stop its progress. 
But a rampant beast can stalk along the streets 

11 



126 

of Zion unmolested and without causing any 

alarm. Is it not high time for a dividing line 

to be drawn between the fat cattle and the 

lean cattle, and no longer to hold out to the 

world that we are all in peace, in union, of one 

heart and of one mind^ when we differ as widely 

as do the planets? That every one has a right 

to enjoy his own opinion we readily grant. 

But for men of opposite sentiments (and what 

can be more opposite than the thing in debate, 

dejinite and indefinite) to say that they are all 

agreed and are of the same mind, is notoriously 

criminal and hypocritical. And as for saying 

our difference is but a minor point, is no better 

than saying that a negative and a positive have 

but one and the same meaning. For my own 

part, I am free to confess, that I cannot see 

h w a man can strictly be right in any one 

point of theology, when in his first onset he has 

so gricNOUsly missed the mark, seeing correct 

views of the atonement are so essential to our 

correctness in all other matters of religion. 

Therefore when men become vain and wild ij 
in their imaginations, and so much concerned ■' 
for God, as fondly to suppose he will not be 
able to maintain the honour of his character, 
and the purity of his justice, without they ad- il 
mit such and such propositions to be correct, 
though without any shadow of foundation in 



i27 

the Bible^ it is not only right for us to suspect 
their safe standing, but to come out from 
amongst them. It is safer, my brother^ to 
cleave to the truth, though but few people join 
issue with us^ than to follow a multitude to do 
evil. Truth never was popular, but error al- 
ways was and still is, 

I hope we shall ever be able to maintain our 
ground, for I believe it is holy, and one reason 
why I believe so is, because there are so few 
men on it. There is a beauty in truth, which 
but few can see; and a sweetness also, which 
but few have tasted. ^^Blessed is the people 
that know the joyful sound; they shall walk, 
Lord, in the light of thy countenance.'' 

O! that we may be the blessed of the Lord; 
and that we may walk in his light, and that in 
him our horn may be exalted; then we shall 
end our course with joy, and triumphantly en- 
ter into the glorious kingdom of our Almighty 
Piunce! 

Ever thine in the Lord God of Israel. 

J. OSBOURN. 

Fork District, S, C. June, 1822. 



128 



LETTER XL 

t)EAR Friend^ 

May the angel of the everlasting covenant 
defend thee and guide thee safe through all 
the vicissitudes of this mortal life. 

I am free to confess^ that I^ in an unusual 
manner feel concerned for your spiritual wel- 
fare, and I can assure you that my prayers 
shall be in your catamity. 

When I consider your age, your weakness, 
your short standing in the camp of Israel, your 
limited acquaintance with human life, your 
scanty knowledge of the wiles of Satan, the 
many snares you wilt be exposed to, the dif- 
ficulties you will have to contend with, while 
passing through this inhospitable world; I say, 
when I consider these things, fears, without 
any kind of restraint, hover about my mind, 
and presage a most impetuous storm which 
makes my saul bleed within me. And were it 
not that I know a faithful God is able to keep 
you from falling a victim to these things, I 
could hardly bear up under the reflection 
which I find to be so painful to my feelings. 
And when I consider that, that same God,, 
who is able to keep you from falling, hathsaid;^- 



129 

tf^My grace is sufficient for thee^^^ I feel as 
though I could trust you into his hands for 
safe keeping. 

And Oh that God may keep you in his fear^ 
support you by his grace^ bless you with his 
presence^ strengthen you by his spirit^ re- 
fresh you vvith the dew of heaven^ comfort you 
with his word of promise, feed you with the 
bread of life, assuage your thirst with living 
water, clothe you with the best robe, guide 
you by his counsel, and afterwards receive you 
to glory. 

I feel the more for you on the account of 
your lonesome situation in life, and knowing, 
also, what you must feel at this time, being 
separated from those, whom I have the great- 
est reason to believe, you felt, and do still feel, 
a tender regard for and love to. But this af- 
ter a while will a little wear off, and then you 
will feel more tranquil and serene. 

I hope you will look to Jesus and make him 
your only trust. May Almighty God bless 
you and do you all the good you need in time 
and in eternity. Be sure you make free when 
you write to him who is 

Your humble servant 
And well wisher, 

J. OSBOURN- 

MeckUnburg Co. June 25, 1822. 

11^ 



130 

Fcstscript: 

Dear friend, be sure that you express, 

Whene'er you write to me. 
The various feelings you possess, 

In language full and free. 
Let not a close reserved mind, 

Keep back from private view. 
Such things of God as you may find, 

While you his ways pursue. 
But frank and openly disclose 

Your pleasure and your pain; 
As I am very fond of those. 

Who write in such a strain. 

If doubts and fears your mind pervade,. 

Or if on Pisgah's mount. 
Be not like those who are afraid 

To give a true account. 

But let the whole come out, that I, 

By what you do advance. 
May judge if you are from on high. 

Or but a child of chance. 

Dream not that I shall criticise. 

And evVy line dissect; 
For I indeed am not so wise. 

As you perhaps suspect. 

Seek not for diction when you write^ 

But try your very best 
To bring those hidden things to light 

Which occupy your breast. 

If over- run with pensive grief. 
Like one who's left alone. 

Say so, as this may give relief; 
Yea, let the worst be known* 



1 



131 

Should clouds, of frightful size and form. 

Around your hemisphere. 
Presage a most tremendous storm. 

Don't yield your soul to fear. 

For as the clouds, which o'er us roll,^ 

Are at Jehovah^s nod, 
They can't destroy the happy soul; 

That's liid with Christ in God. 
And storms are likewiise in the hand 

Of Him, whom we adore, 
And must obey his dread command, 

But they can do no more. 

He also manages the winds. 
And all the waves which swell; 

And sends, with rapid speed, the fiends 
Down headlong into hell. 

'Tis he supports this earthly ball. 

Which otherwise would soon 
Into a thousand pieces fall 

And die as a torch at noon. 

'Tis he who marshals well the stars. 

And makes the sun to shine. 
And over -rules all state affairs. 

To suit some vast design. 

'Tis he who gives to man his food. 
And turns the seasons round. 

And always keeps the trackless flood 
Within its proper bound. 

'Tis he who constantly supplies 

The wants of all the saints. 
And liHi'^ns to tkeir plaintive cries, 

And to their sad complaints* 



132 

O may you therefore learn from hence^ 

To trust a faithful Friend, 
Whose power to do is so immense. 

That he can well defend. 
Call not in question what he saith^ 

But rest upon his word; 
And try to live a life of faith. 

And glorify the Lord. 

God loves to see a beggar bold. 
When at a throne of grace, 

As we may learn from days of old: — 
Remember Jacob's case. 

"I will not let thee go,^' said he, 

"Till I am blest indeed;" 
And just so I conceive should we. 

With Jacob's God proceed. 

And as the Lord indulgent prov'd 

To Jacob at the stream. 
So he will now be easy mov'd 

By faith which comes from him. 
But you will say, "I have not got 

That faith which Jacob had." 
How do you prove that you've it not? 

Because you feel so sad? 

But let me farther push this pointy 

And try the case this way; 
You know that Jacob had a joint 

Much injur'^d in the fray. 
And while the sinew of his thigh^ 

Weaker and weaker grew. 
He must, as he to God^rew nigh. 

Have felt as b^d as you. 



I 



And yet he wrestPd, pray'd and cry'd, 

'Twas all that he could do. 
And to the angel thus reply'd, 

"I will not let thee go.'' 
What boldness here — ^his faith how strongs 

What fortitude — what zeal! 
And that too, when the vict'ry hung 

In very doubtful scale. 
At length a conquest was achieved. 

The angel was overcome; 
And this, through faith, can be believ'd. 

Though doubted much by some. 

O may my friend a Jacob prove. 

And never quit the field. 
Until the Lord of boundless love. 

By faith is brought to yield. 



LETTER XII. 

Deaii Sir, 

As you in your letter manifest a great deal 
of candor and openness of mind, I, in making a 
reply, shall use great plainness of speech, and 
at the same time, hope that the Lord may seal 
home instruction to your heart. 

It may be you are all that you say you are, 
and a great deal more; you may also perform 
all that you say you do, and yet fall vastly 



134 

short of being a christian in heart You may 
be a member of a church, as it seems you are — 
be in high esteem among professors of religion, 
concerning which you speak with emphasis — 
be thought well of by your minister, which you 
appear to glory in — be much applauded for 
your zeal and diligence^ which seems a sweet 
morsel to you — possess a good talent for exhor- 
tation, respecting which you throw ov t some 
broad hints: but alas! know ye not my good sir^ 
that all the above things may be true and yet 
yott remain a total stranger to the power of 
God and to a radical change of heart? Believe 
me when I say, that you may attend public ser- 
vice constantly, pray frequently, and read con- 
tinually, and yet as to spiritual things be as 
blind as a bat and as dead as a stone. 

Real religion, sir, and vital godliness is 
something more than all this: and I am sorry to 
find your letter savor so much of the former 
and iiothing of the latter. You seem to make 
a great bustle and noise, but what does it all 
amount to when properly dissected and squared 
by the word of God? Why to me it appears 
like a puff of emp^^y air! I do not wTite thus, 
sir, to discourage, but to correct you wherein 
I conceive vou seriously miss the mark in mat- 
ters of the highest importance. 1 hope I shall 
not be thought to transgress when I say, If yoa 



iS5 

have not had the fountain of sin in your owh 
heart broken up; if you have not felt and dis- 
covered the wrath of God in his holy law out 
against you as a sinner; if you have not found 
yourself under the arrest of justic and thereby 
exposed to eternal ruin; if you have not had 
that sound sense of your lost condition as to 
make you fly from the wrath to come; if you 
have not had a knowledge of salvation by the 
forgiveness of sins; if Christ has notbeenformed 
in your breast the hope of glory; if you have 
not laid hold on eternal life; if you have not 
hungered and thirsted for divine things^ and 
been desirous of knowing more and more of 
Christ Jesus whom to know aright is life eter- 
nal; if you have not been made in some good 
degree sick of sin, sick of self, sick of this 
world, and willing to part with and leave all 
for Christ; I say, if these things have not in 
some measure taken place and been experi- 
mentally known by you, your hope is fallaci- 
ous—your peace is a false one — your faith is 
fantastical — your joy is delusive — your know- 
ledge is speculative — your love to God is 
feigned — your fear is servile — your change of 
heart is mere notion — your religion is vain, 
and you are yet in your sins, notwithstanding 
all the great out-cry that yoii are now making 



136 

about your religion^ and your wonderful 
change of mind. 

True religion^ sir, is, and real Christianity 
consists in something more than mere notion 
or whim. It is not what a man may think he is, 
but what God has actually made him to he^ by 
an act of mere mercy and grace, that constitutes 
him a true disciple of Christ. Not a few in this 
' eur day are, it is to be feared, setting them- 
selves down satisfied, as I fear you are, under 
an impression that all is right between God and 
their souls, merely because they are thought 
well enough of to be taken into church fellow- 
ship, and some other outside things which they 
find about themselves; such things I mean as 
you lay so much stress on in your letter. O 
sad mistake! and a most awful delusion this, 
and a day is coming that will disclose it and 
make it fully known; and then how grievously 
will they be surprised and astonished who have 
made lies their refuge, falsehood their cover- 
ing, and an arm of flesh their support! 

I V ish, dear sir, that you may not be one of 
this sort. I, however, shall have just cause to 
fear it until you can give a better account of 
yourself than you have hitherto done. I find 
you are not at a loss for words to express your 
ideas. Indeed your letter bespeaks the scholar, 
^nd such I know you are, but I do not know 



157 

that you are a cliristian, nor can it be known 
from what you have communicated to me. 
Your state, sir, in the sight of God is not bet- 
tered by your joining a church, though you 
^ fondly imagine it is. Permit me to say, that 
IF if your heart be not right in the sight of God, 
which it cannot be unless God sets it right, it 
ii matters not what outward show you make, or 
what people may think and say of you. It is 
Christ in the heart, the hope of glory, that 
constitutes a real christian; whereas Christ in 
the mere notion of him will avail but little in 
the day of trial, or in the hour of death. 

Many have known enough of Christ, of them- 
selves, of the law of God, and of the gospel of 
lis Son — of the plan of salvation, and of the 
stability of the covenant of grace in the theory, 
to get themselves a great name amongst men, 
and a high station in the church for many years 
ogether, and perhaps all their life time, and 
yet, when they have been summoned to appear 
n another world, they have found themselves 
totally destitute of that which alone can make 
I dying bed easy. There was but one leper 
)ut of ten that returned to give glory to God, 
md he was a stranger, a poor Samaritan, see 
-iuke xvii. 15. And so it often happens among 
the great crowd that make a profession of reli- 
gion and become members of churchesj it L 
13 



138 

only now and then a poor stranger that comes 
in for the blessings of the gospel, and he is gen- 
erally looked upon by graceless professors as 
a Samaritan, and as one no ways friendly to 
them. 

When the Lord singles out one for himself 
from a company of graceless professors, and 
opens his ears to discipline, opens his heart to 
receive the truth, opens his eyes to see won- 
drous things out of his law, and opens his mouth 
to shew forth his praise, he will speak of what 
lie has known, felt, handled, and tasted of the 
word of life. And as he can very generally 
tell a hypocrite from a real saint, he will take 
the liberty of pointing him out, and will state 
some of his hypocritical windings and turnings; 
and, as he also knows truth from error, he will 
receive the former and reject the latter, admit- 
ting the latter proceeds from a clergyman. 
But as these steps will prove very offensive to 
those who only have a name to live, his name 
will soon be cast out as evil, and be viewed as 
a pestilent fellow, and as one who is trying to 
turn their church upside down; whereas he is 
only trying to undeceive those who arc deceiv- 
ing themselves and others. I do not thus 
write, sir, with a view of discouraging you 
rom attending to that which is good, but to 
<jaution you against wolves in sheep's clothings 



I 



139 

and in trusting in a name to live while it may , 
be you are dead. 

Man is naturally prone to fly to a false re- 
fuge, and to content himself with a false peace. 
This refuge is like Zoar^ near to fly unto; and 
it is one of the hardest things in the world to 
persuade a man that his hope is delusive; and 
yet I am convinced if God should stir up all his 
wrath against a man who is in a delusion, how^- 
ever confident he may be of the safety of his 
state, it would cause his beauty to fade like a 
leaf. And if this should take place in your 
experience, sir, it is more than ten to one, with 
me, that you would cut a very different figure 
to what you may now expect. O sir, try to 
think how astonished you would stand, in case 
your present certainty of salvation vvas over- 
turned, overturned, overturned, and brought 
to nought, and year confidence rejected, Jer. 
ii. 37. It is surprising to think, and impossible 
to tell, how the burning wrath of God revealed 
in a broken law and sent home with full force 
to the conscience, does scorch, wither, consume, 
and burn up a man's false religion, false faith, 
false hope, false joy, and false peace. 

It is evident from the oracles of God that 
none will be able to stand in peace and compo- 
sure in tlie day of the Lord's wrath but those 
who have their anchorage in Christ Jesus, and 



140 

who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the 
hope set before us in the gospel. All false 
props, sir, will in that day totter, sink, and 
fall, under the man who leans upon them, and 
his guilty soul will be exposed to all the curses 
contained in the book of the law. A- mere 
form of religion and an outward show only, 
will then doff its flattering charms, and ap- 
pear in its true garb. If men were rightly 
apprised of this, surely they would never 
dream of taking rest in such outside things as 
now^ they do- 

Believe me, dear sir, it is not an outward 
profession of religion, but an inward posses- 
sion of the grace of God tliat constitutes a 
christian. Not knowledge in the head, but 
the root of the matter in the soul that insures 
eternal life to us. Not what he says, but what 
he feels, proves that there is divine life in the 
soul. Not what he does for God, but what 
God does for him, makes him meet for the 
kingdom of heaven. It is not fancy, but faith 
that purifies the heart. Not a vain confi- 
dence, but a good hope that keeps the soul 
buoyant in the day of evil. Not the esteem of 
men, but the approbation of God that brings 
peace to the troubled concience. Not being 
united to a church here below, but being one 
with Jesus the true and living vine, makes our 



» 



141 

iytanding eternally secure. Not natural pas-^ 
sions stirred up, but the oil of joy poured into 
the soul that makes a man forget his poverty 
and remember his misery no more. Not par- 
taking of the bread and wine at the Lord^s ta- 
ble^ but feeding on Christ by faith makes him 
flourish, thrive and grow. Not a name to 
live amongst men, but a name written in the 
book of life, proves him to be a vessel of mer- 
cy. Not a blind zeal, but a zeal according to 
knowledge, is what God approves of. Not 
what we may be thought of by those around 
us, but what God's thoughts towards us are, is. 
that which will be the desisive vote at the day 
of death. These things, it may be, will great- 
ly astonish you, but so sure as there is a God 
they are the turning points in religion, and on. 
them our eternal salvation hangs. Look to it^ 
therefore, and do not trifle or think lightly of 
things of such vast moment, for if you do, it 
may prove to your cost in a day yet to come. 

If our names are not found written among^ 
the living in the spiritual Jerusalem, we shall 
be cast out as v^^ithered branches, let us attain 
to what place of honor and greatness we may 
in the church below. As to your being iu 
good standing among jfvofessors^ this is but a 
small matter when compared with some other 
things. And how a man of your sense aud 
1^* 



142 

reading, can be so exalted and enthusiastically 
carried away with such little things ^ I can- 
not account for in any other way, than by St. 
PauPs rule; ^^The natural man receiveth not 
the things of the spirit of God, for they are 
foolishness unto him; neither can he know 
them, because they are spiritually discerned.'^ 
Should God be pleased in the multitude of his 
tender mercies to open your eyes, and bring 
you to see things as they really are, you will 
look back on your present state with surprise, 
and see it to be as perilous as I now conceive 
it to be. 

Do, dear sir, turn these few things over in 
your mind, and investigate closely into your 
standing before the Lord, and be not deceived, 
for God is vot mocJced. I would advise you to 
read the Bible very attentively and earnestly, 
to beg God to set you right if you are wrong, 
as it is to be feared you are. Pay less regard, 
sir, to t!ve good opinion that men may have of 
you, as they will not be your judges in the 
great day of accounts, but God will be the 
judge, and by his decisioi* you will stand or 
fall. Consider, also, how many have been de- 
ceived in the end about the business of salva- 
tion and the goodness of their state, though 
before they seemed to possess an unshaken 
^onfideiice of their being right. Examine welL 



143 

the ground of your present hope, the founda- 
tion of your faith, and what authority you have 
to draw such a determined conclasion, that 
your heart is right in the sight of God. Bear 
with rae while I once more say that I stand in 
doubt of you, and that I can see no just reason 
on the face of your letter, for you to conclude, 
as you now do, that your condition in the sight 
of God is a good one. 

This however I know, God is able to do great 
things for you, and I know not but he will, and 
perhaps, he is at work with you now. If this 
should be the case, the work will progress and 
be brought to rich perfection, and you will 
have cause to admire his grace and to be 
thankful for his unspeakable mercy. Seek for 
those things, my dear sir, and God Almighty 
grant that you may be successful. 

With regard to myself, I must needs say, that 
the esteem and good will of men, admitting they 
are christian men, have but little weight with 
me, yea no weight at all in reference to my 
standing before God. I am constrained to look 
to a much higher source for a foundation on 
which to venture my immortal part. Nothing 
short of a believing view of Christ crucified 
for me, and the witness of the Holy Spirit in 
my breast, will carry me ascendant over fears 
and doubts whether all is right or not. And^ 



144 

inasmuclv as nothing less than these things 
will satisfy me^ I must still doubt the safety of 
those who are contenting themselves with 
things of so trifling a nature. 

It may he that my great plainness with you 
will give offence; but I must risk this. In mat- 
ters of religion we ought^ like Paul;, to use 
great plainness of speech^ and not as Moses, 
who put a veil before his face, that the chil- 
dren of Israel might not see to the end of that 
which was to be abolished. Write again, sir, 
whenever you think proper. Say what you 
please, only don^t get angry, and if you do I 
won't. I am in good bodily health. I hope 
this is the case with you. You know where to 
write to me. 

Adieu. 

J. OSBOURN. 



LETTER XIII. 

Dear Sir, 

I here gratefully acknowledge the receipt of 
your letter on the 9th inst. I am glad to hear 
from you; but you make yourself out to be a 
most monstrous sinner in your own eyes. And 
indeed it may be that you are quite as bad as 
you appear to be. But then^ it does not make 



145 

against your being saved by grace^ nor prove 
that you are beyond the reach of mercy; but 
quite to the contrary, for as you have proved 
yourself to be a mighty sinner^ I can as easy 
prove that you need a great and an Ahnighty 
Saviour; and just such a one the Bible reveals, 
I the Lord^ mighty to save. Isa. Ixiii. 1. 
And nothing in the world, I think, can match 
better than a great sinner and a great Saviour. 
And you know as well as I that Christ^s er- 
rand into this world was to save sinners, and 
that saving sinners is a thing which he delights 
in, and that in order to make a rich display of 
his grace and to show his power to save, he 
sometimes pitches on very great sinners, even 
such as we are, and thereby grace appears to 
be what it is, sovereign and free. 

But is it not a little strange that a sinner 
when quickened by divine grace and made sen- 
sible of his lost condition; who finds himself 
just ready to sink into eternal ruin, should 
raise so many objections against his own salva- 
tion as he often does, when God has not raised 
one, but has given every encouragement for a 
poor, broken hearted sinner to come and par- 
take of the water of life freely? But surely 
Satan must have a hand in this, seeing he is so 
vexed when he finds that his fold is rifled, or 
any of his vassals concerned about their eter- 



146 

nal welfare. And, if I mistake not, Satan has 
been busy with you of Jate by your doubting 
whether you have any right to the name of a 
christian merely because you feel so much un- 
like one. We, my brother, are, in this matter, 
to judge by the word of God, and by so doing 
we shall find that we are encouraged to look, 
to come, and to rest on the Lord Jesus Christ 
for salvation; vile, wretched, miserable, and 
unworthy as we may find and feel ourselves to 
be. 

Remember, therefore, that the very idea of 
your being a sinner, and feeling it, proves at 
once that you need a Saviour. In the Bible 
you find one — one who is able to save to the ut- 
termost all that come unto him. Go to him, 
sir, and as bad as you are he will receive you. 
Take his own words for it, ^^He that cometh 
unto me 1 will in no wise cast out.^' And 
when you go, be sure to be open, honest, and 
upright, and tell the Lord what you are and 
what you feel yourself to be — confess all, and 
make the worst of it — keep nothing back — 
smuggle nothing — cover nothing — keep nothing 
from the Lord, hut let the whole come out and 
the worst be known. Tell him of your fears, 
your doubts, your temptations, your besetting 
sins, your conflicts of mind, your heavy bur- 
dens, your trials, and all that grieves your soul* 



147 

And, at the same tiitiej implore divine aid, 
crave forgiveness, beg for mercy, beseech God^s 
favor, plead the merits of Christ, acknowledge 
his ability to save, lay before him his promises, 
his covenant engagements, the relation he 
stands in to his church, and the great respon- 
sibility he took upon himself in behalf of his 
church. In short, make free with the Lord of 
hosts, come in all the confidence of faith, im- 
portune, solicit, entreat, beg, pray, cry aloud^ 
spare not, encompass him about, (not with lies 
as Ephraim did,) but with his own words, and 
lay hold of him by the girdle of his loins, and 
rest your whole weight on the girdle of his 
reins. Isa. xi, 5. 

Now if all this be done in faith, it will be 
well done, and its being well done, I am of 
opinion that you will obtain all that you stand 
in need of; and if not, I am bold to say that 
you will receive as much, if not more, than 
what you deserve. 

We will now hear what God says by way of 
encouragement to those who seek him. ''I will 
deliver the needy when he crieth, the poor 
also, and him that hath no helper. I will be 
found of them that seek me, when they search 
for me with all their heart. I will hear the 
groaning of the prisoner, and loosen him that is 
appointed to die. 1 will draw nigh unto those 



148 

that draw nigh unto me. He that seeks me 
early shall find me For the oppression of the 
poor and for the sighing of the needy now will 
I arise^ and set him in safety from him that 
puffeth at him. When they call I will answer. 
I will bring the third part through the fire. I 
am thy God, 1 will help thee, yea I will uphold 
thee, yea I will strengthen thee with the right 
hand of my righteousness.^' 

All this, and much more, the Lord hath 
spoken and divine veracity has engaged to 
make it good if you can but believe it; and in- 
deed if you believe not, God abides faithful and 
cannot deny himself. You say God hears cer- 
tain characters, and not all and every one. It 
is true the Lord hears certain characters, even 
such as are bowed down under a sense of their 
guilt, sensible of their lost state by nature, and 
who are flying from the wrath to come — will- 
ing to be saved in the Lord Jesus Christ — con- 
vinced in their consciences that they deserve 
the frowns and displeasure of God — at the 
same time fully persuaded in their own minds 
that there is no salvation out of Christ, and 
therefore they are willing to part with all the 
joys of sense to obtain salvation by him. 

These, sir, are the characters that the God 
of Israel hears and answers. For this remem- 
ter^ when God inclines the heart to pray^^ he is 



149 

sure to incline his ear to hear. This has often 
been an encouraging text to me^ and I think it 
must be so to you, as I am persuaded God has 
set your face towards his holy hill, and that he 
is now weaning you from this world by giving 
you to see the vanity of it, and by embittering 
sin and sinful ways to you. And that he will 
sooner or later favor you with the pleasure and 
happiness of walking with him at large;^! am 
convinced, seeing he has inclined you to go af- 
ter him in chains, and I know also that he will 
not forsake the work of his own hands, nor 
leave the soul to perish which he hath quick- 
ened by divine grace. 

Rest assured, sir, that as soon as the Lord 
has thoroughly weaned you from the world^ 
from sin, from self, and from all besides him- 
self, and when your strength is all gone and 
there is none shut up or left, and you feel 
deeply sensible how much you are in debt to 
God, and yet have nothing to pay with — are 
completely stripped of all confidence in an arm 
of flesh, and are willing that Christ should be 
all in all, and you nothing at all but a poor sin- 
ner and a debtor to free grace: then will God 
arise for your help, and proclaim your full re- 
lease! 

My brother, in the furnace we must abide 
until the old leaven of self conceit, self suiR- 
13 



\ 



150 

ciency, and self righteousness be purged out erf 
us; for until then there will be no room for real 
humility, contrition, compunction, self abhor- 
rence, self loathing, and godly sorrow. But as 
soon as ever God has, by the furnace, formed 
the vessel for himself, it shall come out and 
shew forth its Maker's praise. Isa. xliii. 21. 

Know ye not, my brother, that God is fond 
of music? and that music will not sound well in 
a pit? but that upon a rock it will sound most 
melodiously? God then brings sinners out of 
the horrible pit and places them upon a rock, 
presents them with golden harps, puts a new 
» song in their mouths, and then bids them sing, 
^^Let the inhabitants of tlie rock sing.'' Isa. 
xlii. 11. Now, my friend, when you get upon 
this rock your notes will of course be more 
shrill, clear, distinct, and musical than now they 
are, while you remain in the deep mire where 
there is no standing, and while your life is^ 
hanging in doubt. But as soon as ever God 
turns your captivity, you will be like those who 
dream, for your mouth will be filled with laugh- 
ter, and your tongue with singing, and you 
will tell to those who love and fear God what 
great things he has done for your soul. Psa. 

cxxvi. 1^ 3. j 

But even then, you will be as much at' a loss 

tx) know how to describe and set forth the 



151 

greatness of God's power to save siiiaers^ as 
now you are to point out the enormity of your 
sinsj and the deceitfuhiess of your heart. But 
we are going on almost too fast^ for the year of 
jubilee is not yet. And it may be before you 
enter upon the place of broad rivers and 
streams^ you will meet with many a dark and 
cloudy day, many wearisome nights, many try- 
ing hours, many attacks from Satan, many con- 
flicts, hard struggles, aitd desperate combats. 
But should this be the case, be not dishearten- 
ed for St. Paul says, ^^My God will supply ali 
your need according to his riches in glory.'* 
Phill. iv. 19. It also is said that, ^^Your shoes 
shall be iron ar.d brass, and as your day, your 
strength shall be.'' Deut. xxxiii. 25. Again 
it is said — ^^God will lay no heavier burden 
upon you than you are able to bear, but will 
with the temptation make a way for your es- 
cape." 1 Cor. X. 25. Again — ^^And when he 
has tried me, he will bring me forth as gold.'* 
Job, xxiii. 10. 

But friend^f bellevest thou this? John, xi. 26. 
If you do, well, and if you do not, your unbe- 
lief will not make the promise of God of none 
effect, for I will work, says God, and none 
shall let it. The building of mercy shall be 
carried on let who will oppose it. Sanballat 
Hnd Tobiah withstood Nehemiah and made 



152 

use of all the means they could to prevent the 
building the walls of Jerusalem, but all in vain, 
the work was of God, and go on it must, and 
go on it did, in spite of the devil and all his 
servants. ^^And the wall was finished in the 
twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty 
and two days/^ Neh. chap. vi. 

And in like manner will Satan and the pow- 
ers of darkness oppose the work of God now go- 
ing on in your soul, but it will be fruitless 
toil — labour in vain — and strength spent for 
naught — for the fabric of mercy shall be rear- 
ed let who will say nay, and the top stone shall, 
be brought forth with shouting in defiance of 
the gates of hell. ^^I will work,'^ says God, 
^^and none shall let it/^ And Paul says, ^*He 
who hath begun a good work in you will per- 
form it.'^ 

And this being the case, I am sure you have 
no cause to doubt it. Do let me beg of you, 
therefore, to come to Christ just as you are, 
with all your sins about you, for you cannot 
make yourself better, and keeping from him 
is not the way to find mercy, and if mercy is 
not worth asking for and seeking after, it is not 
worth having. Go then, my friend, go as a 
poor, wretched, miserable, perishing, vile, 
despicable, worthless, helpless, and undone 
sinner. Because to know this experimentally^ 



153 

in reality, in deed and in truth, is all -ae reconi' 
mendation, requisition, and qualiiication that 
God looks for or expects from you. And in- 
deed, all this is his Holy Spirit's doing, and it 
is what God will never despise, world without 
end, Amen. 

Cheer up then, my good sir, cheer up, the 
way is plain before you; Christ is the mark set 
before you, he is the Saviour, the refuge, the 
hiding place, the gate of life, the living vine, 
the spiritual apple tree, the rose of Sharon, the 
lily of the valley, the rock of ages, the sure 
foundation stone, the king inZion, the prophet 
of his people, and the great high priest, who 
ever liveth to make intercession for us. 

But in order to be thus cheerful you must 
learn the art of lookin gmore to Jesus, and less 
to yourself. It is by looking to, resting on, 
and believing in the Lord of life and glory, that 
we honor and glorify the God of grace, mercy, 
and truth. We little think hoNV shamefully we 
reproach our Maker by unbelief. Unbelief is 
the devil's master- piece> and the main pillar-on 
which the whole fabric of iniquity is reared.. 
It strikes at the veracity of God, infringes on 
his sovereignty, tries to make void his oath, 
draws the sword on Deity and pierces as it were 
the Great I AM. It empoverisheth the mind, 
contracts the most enlarged heart, leads the 
13^ 



154 

soul astray from the right way, brings it into 
bondage^ sets it all in an uproar^ and makes it 
quite outrageous. It also blinds the eyes, dea- 
fens the ears^ enfeebles the loins^ fetters the 
tongue, hardens the heart, benumbs the con- 
science, and stiffens the soul with pride. 

But on the other hand, faith, which is the 
gift of God, and which stands in direct opposi- 
tion tp unbelief, acts differently and produces 
differeixt effects. It hoaors and glorifies God, 
brings distant objects near^^ trusts God where 
by sense he cannot be traced, gives full credit 
to the word of promise, cleaves to the Lord 
under every disadvantage, concludes all is well 
in the midst of surrounding difficulties, buoys 
up the soul in the day of trouble, draws com- 
fort from the faithfulness of God, follows where 
the Lord leads, laughs at opposition, and views 
the path of tribulation to be the best way to 
heaven because it is the one which the Lord 
himself has marked out and laid down for his 
people to walk in. 

If you, sir, had this faith, you would be a 
rich man according to the definition which the 
Bible gives of a rich man. And I will be bold 
to aver, that were you in full possession of this 
gift of God, faith, you would do Christ the ho- 
iior, and yourself the pleasure, of looking more 
tp him and less to yourself than what I fear yoii 



155 

BOW do. Don't you think so yourself? If I 
thought you would learn any thing from the 
children of Israel in the wilderness, and the 
serpent of brass on the pole, I would lay before 
you that circumstance, and show in a few words 
what a striking analogy there seems to be be- 
tween their looking to the serpent on the pole, 
and a poor sinner stung with guilt looking to 
the Son of man, who is lifted up on the pole of 
the Gospel. Indeed whether you will gain any 
thing by it or not, I will venture to say some- 
thing about it. 

Those of the children of Israel who were bit 
by the fiery serpents, which the Lord sent 
amongst them, were directed by Moses their 
leader, to look to the antidote provided, which 
was a serpent of brass placed upon a pole, and 
exhibited in the Hebrew camp, and they that 
beheld it, lived. Sovereign Remedy! 

This was intended to represent to us in the 
gospel dispensation, the Lion of the tribe of Ju- 
dah, who is fairly exhibited in the New Testa- 
ment as the only sure physician of sin-disor- 
dered souls. And now see what this teacheth 
^USA 1. They were bitten by fiery serpents: 
A deadly poison this we are sure, because, of 
the bite much people of Israel died. Is not 
your conscience at this time deeply tainted with 
the venom of guilt? Has not Satan, that old 



156 

serpent, struck his deadly poison in your breast? 
And have you not cause to fear and good rea- 
son to believe the disease to be mortal^ iinless a 
remedy can be found, which will^ v^hen applied^ 
extract the poison which has so contaminated 
all the powers and faculties of your soul? And 
may we not say^ and do we not know it to be 
a truth, that of this disease much people die? 

What then can be done; the disease is still 
raging and people are dying daily? Done! 
Why there is something done already to our 
hand. What is it? ^^As Moses lifted up the 
serpent in the vyilderness, even so must the Son 
of man be lifted up.'^ John iii, 14. And now 
secondly, how did the Israelites obtain a cure? 
By doing as Moses bid them, which was to 
look to the serpent of brass which he had 
erected upon a pole. ^^And when they beheld 
the serpent of brass they lived. '^ Num. xxi. 9. 
What induced them to look to so simple a thing 
as a serpent made of brass? One would sup- 
pose that the sight of a serpent would have 
been repulsive to them, seeing it was by ser- 
pents that they were bit and so grievously dis- 
eased. Answer. It was their misery, and a 
sense of the consequence of the same, that in-J^I 
duced them to look to the serpent of brass, as 
Moses had commanded them. 



157 

Apply this to yourself, or permit me to ob- 
serve that you are sick with a worse disease than 
were the Israelites, and you appear to be as 
deeply sensible of the alarming consequences as 
were they, and a remedy is provided for you 
as well as there was for them, and to this reme- 
dy you are called upon to look, as well as they 
were to look to the serpent on the pole, as we 
read, ^^Behold the Lamb of God.^^ John i. 36, 
And when you, by faith, behold this sin ato- 
ning Lamb, instead of finding the object to be 
repulsive, you will admire and be astonished to 
see what a similarity exists between the object 
from which you receive a cure and the object 
by which sin entered into this world. Adam, 
the nrst, brought sin into the world. anH ^^»rist* 
the second Adam, taketh away the siit of the 
world. Adam, the first, was in human form, 
and Christ, the second Adam,assumed the same 
form. ^^He took not on him the nature of an- 
gels, but he took on him the seed of Abraham!^' 

A third lesson we also learn from this singu- 
lar circumstance of the bitten Israelites and the 
serpent in the wilderness. They, when bit, 
were ordered to look to the remedy provided, 
and not to the disease. I think this will well 
apply to your case, my dear friend. You ought, 
as I have all along told you, to look directly 
to Christ, and not so much at that which grieves 



158 

and burdens you. In Christ there is rest and 
peace^ but you must not expect to find this in 
yourself. Look to Jesus then, and when you 
have obtained a cure, let me know it. I hope 
it will be soon. I long to see you brought 
forth. I have had my eye upon you for some 
time. Make freer than usual when you write 
again. Give my love to your family. Tell 
J. R. that I want a few lines from him. I am 
quite weary with writing, I have been at it so 
long. It is past midnight. But it is not un- 
tommon for me to write more than half the 
Bight aw^ay. 

I am yours; in love, 

J. OSBOURN. 



fHJE: SND. 



WORKS 

rUBLlSHED BY THE REV. JAMES OSBOURN. 



GOOD THINGS AIMED AT, or Divine 

Truths Touched On; and the History of Naph- 
tali, or a Brief Detail of the Hind let loose. 
Two vols, in one. Price Si. 

A CHRISTIAN DESCRIBED, AND 
HIS RIGHT PROVED AND VINDICA- 
TED. Price 25 cents 

THOUGHTS OF PEACE IN TIME OF 
WAR, or God's Goodness to Israel in the 
Worst of Times. Price Si. 



i 



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